The Wonder of Devotion
by wibn
Summary: As a last attempt to rekindle her relationship with her brother, Suguha bought SAO without his knowledge. She hoped maybe this would help them bond. She couldn't have guessed what's in store for her, her brother, and the friends they'll meet while journeying through this game of death.
1. Chapter 1

It was a warm fall afternoon, fall's final elegy. For once, Suguha Kirigaya wouldn't mind if the air was a bit chillier. She runs down the street with the familiar unwieldy weight of her sword pressing down on her back. Sweat drips down her forehead and tickles her nose. If only the day was cooler.

Mother disliked the idea at first. She thought it would waste time and money. She's correct for the latter. Suguha spent her life savings… and some of her mother's… for it, but the girl still thinks it's all worth the effort. After enough late-night discussions, she secured her mother's blessing due to a simple statement.

"Mother, this might be my last chance to be his little sister!"

She and Kazuto drifted apart. Perhaps that isn't the best way to describe it. They were close at one point, up to four years ago, that was true. She wouldn't call them best friends, but they were damn good ones. Then, he just stopped. He stayed in his room whenever possible. He dropped out of kendo. He spent all his free time playing video games. Saguha had to spend all her time practicing kendo instead. It was the only thing that saved him from Grandfather's wrath.

_Why am I doing this? _She knows it's stupid and probably won't work. They'll just drift apart forever, like so many other brothers and sisters she knows. He'll do his thing; she'll do her thing. They'll grow up, move to different parts of Japan, and see each other maybe once or twice a year until they grow old and die.

_But, I don't want that._

In kendo tournaments, some of opponents grew desperate. They realized she far outclassed them, and they'd soon lose. They'd do either one of two things. They played defensive, stretching out the match but sacrificing any chance of victory. Or, they'd do something crazy, a wild move that would end the game in a moment. She'd beat her opponent every time… except once. Once, that wild move beat her.

Right now, she's that desperate player and Kazuto is her opponent. She could either play it defensive, accept that they were drifting apart and mitigate the loses. Or, she could do something insane, a final attempt to be his little sister again.

That's why she's running home. She has the world of kendo, friends, and good grades while he has the world of video games. She will take the offensive and invade his weird world of virtual existence. This is her wild move.

The young girl stops in front of their house panting. She leans on her knees for a few moments to regain her composure. Then, she straightens her posture and wipes the sweat from her brow. Her house looms overhead without a single light on. Mother must not be home yet. Kazuto doesn't turn on lights when he's gaming.

She enters the home and glances at the clock. It's 16:45. People around the world have been playing this video game for hours already, nine hundred and ninety-nine of them. The other one stood in line since yesterday afternoon to get the game only to spend the first few hours after launch at kendo practice instead.

She runs up the stairs to the second floor and stopped by her brother's door. Peeking inside, she sees him laying on the bed with that helmet on. He was a beta-tester for the game, apparently a pretty good one at that. It's sorta why she bought the game, because of a chance conversation they had one afternoon.

He walked down the stairs that Saturday and opened the fridge. She sat on the dining table, working on her homework.

"This is the first time I've seen you today, brother. What are you doing up there?" She looks down at her work again, a confusing conglomerate of numbers and equations. The girl didn't expect her brother to respond. She was only making small talk anyway.

He closed the fridge door with a carton of milk in his hand. As he poured the glass, he answered, "Betaing a game." He gulped down the milk and wiped the residue off his lips. "You won't be able to talk to me while I'm playing it. It's fully immersive."

She scratched her head. Some of the nerdier boys at school were talking about some new game, fully immersive. "A VRNNO?"

He chuckled, something she hasn't see much anymore, and shook his head. "No, a VRMMO, Sword Art Online. Um, to simplify the specifics, you put on a helmet and get… sucked into the game. When you want to raise your arm, your avatar raises his arm. If you're a good swordsman IRL, then your character would have those skills too… I think."

She set her pencil down. "Oh, so if I joined, I'd kick your butt with my kendo." She smiled at that thought. It's been years since they dueled. Back then, she won more often than not.

He shrugged. "Maybe. The combat is a bit different with the gaming mechanics. I'm pretty good at it too." He stretched his arms. "Well, I guess we'll never know. Too bad you'd never come within a few meters of a video game, Sugu." Before she could say anything else, he walked back up to his room.

Suguha took a deep breath and muttered to herself, "Yeah… But, maybe we will know." She smiled at that idea.

Now, she closes the door to his room. She carefully puts her sword away and changes out of her sweaty clothes. That helmet sits on her bed, almost staring back at her with lifeless eyes. The girl shudders. video games exist in a lifeless world. No matter how real they might feel, they never will be like real life. It's a virtual outlet to escape from reality. In Kazuto's case, to escape from his family. From her. She doesn't like video games at all, but her brother lives in these. If she wants to become part of his life again, she'll have to start here. Maybe, just maybe, it will let them be brother and sister again.

She lays down in her bed and puts on the helmet. It feels cold on her skin, like winter's dry breeze. She repeats his avatar's name in her head. She got him to mention it once, and she never forgot it since. He's Kirito in the game, not her brother. He's another life, another person. She'll find him. Maybe he'll be angry, maybe he'll be happy, but she's going to find out.

She's Suguha Kirigaya. She won't back down from a fight.

Taking one final deep breath, the girl initiates the game. Her head tingles for a moment, as if she drank too much tea. Then, her world becomes a dazzling display of colors. For a moment, she feels weightless, bodyless. She sees orbs. Five, one for each sense. They last for only a second before displaying _ok_ in their place. At the very least, she'll be able to eat desserts now without getting fat.

It asks for her language and selects Japanese for her. _Did it read my thoughts, or is that the only option for now? _It asks for her login. Since she doesn't have one, she spends the next few minutes creating one, supplying an email, and finally making it past that stage.

_Welcome to Sword Art Online _it reads. She sees an overpowering explosion of blue before entering a dark room. _Character Creation. Please Select a Name and Character. _

The room lights up. Suguha feels overwhelmed by the options. Every corner of the room has countless choices. Hundreds of bodies, hair styles, even different noses. _I'm not going to waste my time on this. _

She selects female. Then, she selects a random option. It gives her a short, blonde girl with a nice enough face. _Meh. That's fine. _When it asks for a name, she inputs _Leafa. _It's fall, so the leaves are falling. Why not, right?

It asks her to confirm the choice, and she does. With that single click, her body no longer stands in the character room. She blinks.

She hears noises, the chatter of people. The air smells like a mixture between spring's excitement and baked bread. She licks her lips and feels the coolness of her spit evaporating from her skin. She raises her hand, but it's not her hand. She sees Leafa's hand.

Suguha giggles, but it's not her voice. She gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. Hearing whispering behind her, she sees two… people looking at her, a tall woman and a short man. The woman notices that their whispering reached Leafa's ears, so she waives at the newb.

"First time playing?" Leafa nods. The woman nods in understanding. "Well, you've started out with some cor. That's our currency. It's enough to buy a starting weapon so you can start grinding. Try that vendor." The points to an NPC sitting at a stall. "We're pretty sure that one has the best stats for a starter."

Leafa bows. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." The pair walk off to wherever their going. Leafa makes her way to the vendor. For a moment, she wonders how to buy something. Her eyes widen. She swipes her hand and opens a… something. A tab, display? Either way, she's glad she watched a few tutorials. Too bad her brother never made any. Then, she'd know where to look… Maybe she should've told him she bought the game instead of making it a surprise.

She shakes her head. No time for regrets. Knowing her brother, he must be in some distant corner of this level hacking away at random monsters. Every moment she wastes is a moment he gets farther and farther away.

She looks for a weapon that looks like her shinai. With all her kendo skills, it would be stupid to not use her talents. She finds one, an expensive one. It uses all her cor, but what else could she buy? Clothes? Food? Potions? Nah, she'd rather have a shinai.

She places her sword on her back. It is a sword after all. Hitting monsters with a bamboo stick would be laughably stupid. Even she knows that, but this sword has enough similarities.

She looks around the town. There aren't many people around her, real ones. They must be out grinding, like her brother. Since she can't contact anyone in-game without being in the same party or being friends, she'll have to physically find him. Either that or tell him to meet her somewhere when they have dinner tonight, but that would take away any surprise.

She runs. It she goes in the same direction long enough, she'll make it out of this town, a pretty town. It reminds her of an old medieval city. The walls are stone and wood, but vibrant colors decorate the drab architecture with tapestries and vendor stalls. Her feet clop on the stone roads, like shoes on concrete sidewalks. She even feels her body tire. Her legs give the slightest amount of ache, but this body seems to be more fit than her body. No, that isn't it. This body is older, but just as fit. Maybe she can run this much in a few years.

After exiting one of the city gates, she gasps in surprise. It's not real. It's all virtual, but… She spins in a circle, feeling the sun's warmth shifting around her body. Wind meanders through rolling, grassy hills like a lover's hand twirling through his darling's hair. The sky is a deep blue, like a painting hanging in a museum. This world is pretty. It feels pretty.

Realizing a few people give confused looks in her direction, she recomposes herself, but her cheeks turn red. Clenching her fists, she runs down a dirt path that winds through the hills. She doesn't know much about her brother's avatar, but he mentioned once how it's male with longer black hair. He probably thinks it looks cool too. Silly brother.

With every step she takes, other players move farther away. Within a few minutes, she's alone. _How big is this world? _The tranquility ends with a squeal. Turning her head, she sees an ugly boar with red eyes. It stands a dozen meters to her left and clomps its hoofs on the grass, creating ruts in the pristine earth.

_I came here to play with my brother. I might as well know how to kill stuff when I meet him. _

She unsheathes her sword and rests in a familiar stance. Her kendo instructor would be proud. "Come at me, uh, piggy!" she shouts. Perhaps the AI understands the challenge or maybe the boar attacked because she yelled. It doesn't matter. The boar charges.

She feels power, an unnatural power. At the edge of her vision, she sees a curved red bar filling up. _Oh, that fighting mechanic thingy. _When it fills to the max, she attacks. It took a moment, but she lunged forward, swiped her blade down, and dodged the tusks of the boar. The line between the game mechanics and her skills were blurred in that moment, but as the pig exploded into tiny shards, she felt satisfaction. A window popped up showing what she earned. Some exp, cor, and items. Though, pig skin doesn't seem to have much use. Maybe she's supposed to sell that in a town.

"Well Sug- Um… Well, Leafa. That wasn't too bad." She sheathes her sword. "At this rate, maybe I could beat my brother. That'd be fun." She looks into the distance and sees another pig. She smiles and charges to her next opponent. This world is too big to wander into her brother by chance. She'll have to tell him when they're done playing. Until then, she might as well show him she's serious about this game… serious about being his little sister.

* * *

The sun moves from the very reaches of the sky to resting on top of the hills. Leafa's stomach grumbles, reminding her of real-life dinner. She checks the in-game clock. _5:29. Damn it! _Mother will need help with making the meal. She's gonna be pissed.

She opens the gaming menu and clicks the logout bu- She tilts her head. Where is it? She knows it should be right there, but it's just a blank space. She sighs. Someone in town should know how to logout. Still, she could've sworn it should be right there.

Bells right. Is it an in-game event? Her world shifts to white. Then, she sees stone. She's back in the starting city. Looking around, she's apparently not the only one. Hundreds, no thousands of avatars appear around her. Each has the same look. Confused. Scared. Jumpy. They didn't expect this to happen either.

On the bright side, Kazuto must be here too. She searches all the faces for one that could be him. The bells still ring on a clocktower in the center of wherever they're at. The town square? It sits up there ringing, an ominous tone while it seems to tiny on top of the tower. It's as if it's a god staring down at them. It beckoned, and they arrived. Then, it stops. Leafs only hears the hushed murmurs of other players now.

Everything takes a red tint. Some people scream. Leafa looks up and sees the once beautiful sunset skies now plastered with red warning tiles. Blood drips down and converges into a single entity hanging above them. A hooded figure stares down at the avatars. _I don't like this game. _

"Attention, players." The voice booms and rattles her insides. "Welcome to my world." He raises his arms and the length almost seems to spam the town square. "My name is Kaybaya Akihito." _Isn't he this game's creator? _"As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world. I'm sure you've already noticed, but the logout button is missing from the main menu."

He opens his own main menu and shows his too is missing. "But that is not a defect of the game. I repeat… this is not a defect of the game. It is a feature of Sword Art Online. You cannot log out of SAO yourselves." _WHAT?! _"And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. If anyone attempts to remove the gear, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and ending your life."

_Is this a joke? _She looks around. Almost every face she sees is twisted into one of pure horror. _This can't be real. It's a video game, not real life. We… we can't die here. _

"Unfortunately, several players' families and friends already tried to remove the NerveGear despite my warnings. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world."

Leafa gasps. A tear falls down her cheek.

"As you can see…" Various news sites pop around the cloaked figure. "News outlets are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed is minimal. But, I want you to remember this clearly. There is no longer any method to revive someone in the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost, and simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain."

_I'm going to die. _

"There is only one means of escape, to complete the game."

Leafa's legs give way. She sits on the floor. This game was supposed to take time to complete. Brother mentioned that. A year, two years. She'll be trapped in a game for years? No, she'll die. She'll make a mistake. Everyone does. Then, she'll die. She'll never get to see her mother again. She'll never get to grow up, go to college, get a job, and marry some nice man. She'll never get to see Kazuto again. He'll die too.

She sees other players opening their inventories. All of them are. She wasn't paying attention to what that murderer was saying. Maybe it was a trick. Maybe an item in their inventory is the way out. She opens hers and sees a mirror. She taps it. A mirror forms in front of her, so she grabs it. She sees her face and blonde hair. _Is that all? _

Her world becomes glistening white. When it fades back, she sees a different face staring back, her face. She drops the mirror and it disintegrates on the floor. People scream around her. Everyone seems less… fake. She swallows. _We're all us now. _She smiles. _But, I can find my brother easier. But.. we're going to die!_

Suguha doesn't notice what the floating demon says. She clutches her head and cries. She's a girl, a young girl now thrust into a life or death situation. She's surrounded by strangers, people she never met. She curls into a ball. Never has she felt so alone.

She doesn't move until someone trip on her. Then, someone steps on her hand. She forces herself to stand. Some people run. Others scream. It's chaos.

Remembering her brother's avatar name, she screams, "Kirito!" He's her lifeline, the one person in the real world in this one. "Kirito!" He's a gamer. He might be able to survive. Maybe he'll help her. "Kirito!" Even if she dies, maybe he could give her dying words to everyone in the real world. "Kirito!" That way, she won't die alone. "Kirito!" She won't die among strangers. "KIRITO!" She'll die among family.

She screams his name until her voice becomes hoarse. No one answers her. She sobs alone in this game o death.

She sobs until she feels a hand on her shoulder. Her voice croaks, "Kirito?" She looks up but sees a stranger's face. He smiles a toothy grin and his reddish-brown hair looks unkempt. Behind him stand a few other men. She swallows. What are they going to do to her?

"Did you say _Kirito_?" The speaker looks worried. "Skinny guy, dark hair for both avatar and irl?" She nods her head. "You know him?"

"He…" She swallows. "He's my brother. He doesn't know I'm here. This is my first video game. Do you know where he is?"

He holds out a hand. She takes it, and he pulls her up. "The name's Klein, beautiful."

She narrows her eyes. "I'm thirteen."

He lets go of her hand. "Sorry. Um, Kirito went off to the next town. We'll point you in the right direction, but it'll be dangerous. You any good at this game?"

"I'm level two." She smiles at Klein. She might be able to find her brother thanks to him.

"Already? Yeah, like brother like sister I guess." He shrugs. "This is me and my buddies. We're going to stay around here for a while, better safe than sorry. But, come on."

He walks out the western gate. She and his friend follow. Klein still talks. "He's a quiet fellow, but he's clearly a badass at the game too, you know? I guess you would know actually. Anyway, he went to the next village since this one will get picked over pretty soon. I'd be willing to bet he'll stay in one of those hotels. Hang around that town. You should be able to spot him tonight or when he leaves in the morning. Spread the word around too. People will be happy to help. You're a chick."

She clenches her fists. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He laughs. "Over half the female avatars were dudes. You're in a game of young men as one of the few young women. Most guys will bend over backwards for a simply _thank you_."

She smirks. "Like what you're doing now?"

He scratches the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He stops walking. They reached the edge of the city. Pointing down a dirt path, he says, "That'll take you directly there, miss. What's your name?"

"Suguha."

"No, your avatar one. We're not supposed to use irl ones."

She blushes. "Oh." She glances back at his friends. They seem to be smiling but not in a condescending way. "Um, it's Leafa."

Klein opens his menu. He taps something, and she sees a friend request form in front of her. "This way, we can message each other. If we ever spot Kirito, I'll contact you to get your family reunion underway."

Leafa accepts the request. "Thanks, Klein. Really. I… You don't know how much this means to me."

He gives her a wide smile and a thumbs up. "No problem. If you ever need some help, give me a shout. Okay?" She nods. He exaggeratedly points into the distance. "Now, go find thine brother, young maiden!" She glares at him. "Sorry, but go get him. Okay?"

She nods and waives goodbye. Then, she runs down the path.

_I'll find you brother. I promise. _

* * *

One month later, two thousand people died. None of them were her, her brother, or Klein. Yet, she hadn't seen either of them since.

Floor 1 had yet to be cleared, but she believes Kirito will be there when it does. That's why she works to become the best swordswoman in the game. He'll be a high-level player. So will she. It'll give her a better chance to find her brother, apparently a solo and unbearably elusive player.

No, he's a solo and unbearably elusive and solo person. Well, she'll break into his world somehow, and nothing will stop her.

* * *

Yui's Comments:

Hi, I'm Yui! I'll help the author at the end of these chapters. Since I can access the code, I can tell you things like expected publishing dates, in-game information, and what the author plans for the story. I know this won't be a harem story, but some things are unclear. Especially pairings, even if there will be any at all.

I'll also reply to your comments in this section. Isn't that nice?

Some of you might question why Leafa couldn't find Kirito after a month of searching. Even though she knew where he would initially go, Kirito quickly went to the secluded portions of the game. Not many people have seen him, so he never learned that Leafa wants to meet him.

It's okay though! They'll meet next chapter. I think you know why.

Also, some of you might wonder why Leafa picked up SAO so well. She was able to use her real life skills effectively in the game despite the differences.

Anyway, have a nice day! I'll be seeing you early next month… Well, probably. Goodbye!


	2. Chapter 2

Shadows stretch across the large cavern. Except for the occasional drip and the huffing of an enraged player, all has become silent. Moments ago, the sounds of battle echoed throughout the dungeon, but warfare gave way to victory.

Leafa picks up a rock off the cavern floor. It carries a reddish hue, like the monsters she just slaughtered. She tosses it up and catches it in her hand like a baseball pitcher. Then, she lets out a furious scream and hurls the rock at the wall. It cracks open, momentarily filling the cave with a piercing clap.

The girl rubs her eyes. The boss was rumored to drop some item. She didn't really care what that item was, but it supposedly boosted the Searching skill and specifically the Tracking mod. Instead, it was just another pair of gloves. That player she met the other day was wrong.

"I'm such a newb!" With a huff, she marches back to the cave entrance, following her map. If she'd only known about the Tracking mod earlier. Instead, she filled her first two skills with other things, the nearly mandatory Single-Handed Sword and the defensive Parry. It was only after that when she bothered to read every skill. Realizing her error, she spent the last two weeks grinding up to level six for the extra skill slot and then grinding Tracking, a mod for the Searching skill.

"Just a few more days." As the light from the outside world shone up ahead like a lighthouse in troubled waters, she calms her breathing. In a few more days, she'll be able to track even the oldest footprints from any user. She's been staying at the far corners of level one ever since the game began. That's what her brother would choose to do. She's certain. He's a loner in real life. He'd be a loner here too. Of the people she asked, no one knew about any "Kirito", so he must be out there all alone.

She exits the cave and sees a sight she grew to hate over the past month, pristine hills. What once seemed like the image of pastoral perfection now looks like cancerous lumps. It's like being trapped in a gilded prison. No one has escaped to the second floor. No one has found the floor boss.

Leafa closes her eyes, forcing back her tears. If each floor takes a month to complete, it'd be almost a decade until they escape. She'd… she'd be out of college by then, maybe married. Will the people in the real world even bother to keep ten thousand… now eight thousand… Players alive for so long?

Her eyes open when she hears an unfamiliar sound. She looks around for who or what could've made it, but she's alone. Her eyes then widen in realization. After a moment of fumbling through her menu, she opens her messages and sees a vaguely familiar name. Klein.

She reads the message. "Get to the town Tolbana. How's Kirito? K."

She tries to type back a response but finds there's a character limit to these. "Why go? Also, still looking."

"All top players wanted. In two hours." A moment later, he sends another. "You know you can send PMs to him?"

Leafa freezes in place. Her eyes glue themselves to those eight words. She lets out a whimper as her legs buckle. Tears fall down her cheek. She's overwhelmed by joy and despair. She'll find her brother, but she could have found him immediately. That's… that's too cruel.

"You didn't know, did you?" She can almost feel his pity. "Since you know his name, manually enter it. Then send." She tries to open the menu, but her hand trembles too much. _I am so stupid! _"But, he'll be at Tolbana. All high players wanted."

She swallows. It's been a month since she saw a familiar face, laughed with a friend, or had the simple pleasure of eating a meal with her family. Why… How? How didn't she know this?

She manages to open her menu. Typing her brother's username into the messages, it gives her a few characters to reply. What can she say? _Hi! I'm your sister, Suguha Kirigaya. _He… _Brother, it's Sugu. I got this game too. _He won't believe it. She's his little sister Sugu. She doesn't like video games and hardly talks to him. All her time is spent with kendo and school. She wouldn't… couldn't be in here with him, yet she is.

He won't believe it. Then, he might become wary about some weird stalker and not go to that meeting or whatever in Tolbana. This will be her best chance. She waited a month. A few more hours… She wipes away some of her tears… A few more hours will be worth it. He'll be there.

She closes out the message to Kirito and replies to Klein. "Didn't know. C U at Tolbana. Thank you."

Taking a deep breath, she recomposes herself. It's just a run. After double checking her map, she breaks into a jog on a path pointing east. At least she didn't screw this part up. Two weeks ago, she saw another player with a double-handed sword. While it would be closer to her real-life style, the person couldn't run. It weighed him down due to game mechanics or something like that. She couldn't allow herself to lose speed. The faster she ran, the more ground she'd cover. The more ground she covered, the better chance she'd run into her brother or see his footprints.

She blinks. She hardly notices its green hue anymore, but whenever she runs, she has Tracking on. It seems to help increase the skill's level, and she'd spot any recent footsteps from her brother. Kirito is always the name her Tracking, um… tracks? She shakes her head. Gamers need to have better lingo.

Suguha lets her thoughts drift off towards her brother. Will he be happy to see her? Terrified? Both? She'll know soon. She'll know!

Leafa almost trips. Glowing green footprints. She's been looking for a sign of her brother for so long, and now they're in front of her. She looks where they came from, Town of Beginnings of all places; however, she sees where they're going as well, Tolbana. Suguha squeals in joy. Those are her big brother's footprints!

Reinvigorated, she sprints. The trail takes her to Tolbana. Weaving through surprised players, she becomes more jittery with every step. It's as if energy forms inside her body, and it can't get out. Elation. This is elation. He's here!

She freezes. Someone bumps into her. "Watch it!" He stumbles and almost falls, but Suguha ignores him. Her eyes remain transfixed on the player in front of her. Tracking turns off. She found her target.

Her brother leans against a stone wall under a shadow. He wears his favorite two colors. A dark blue shirt and black pants. A sword rests on his back. His arms are crossed, and his head is tilted down. He probably thinks he looks cool. But no one would give him a second look. Leafa doesn't either. She hasn't ended her first one.

Her mouth becomes dry while her eyes become wet with tears. A frog gets lodged in her throat while butterflies flutter in her stomach. She wants to say so many things but can't find the words to say any.

Since her mouth failed her, she does the next best thing. The girl runs up to her big brother and wraps him in a hug. With that human contact, the warmth of his skin, the sound of his voice in a sudden gasp… She can't hold it in anymore. The crushing, month-long loneliness has come to an end.

The floodgates open. She wails.

Kazuto says something as his body remains rigid. She can't tell what he says. She focuses on one thing. He's here standing in front of her, wrapped in her arms. She looks up at him and smiles, an odd contrast to her streams of tears. His mouth hangs open. His arms raise up and press down on her back. It starts off soft, as if he's hugging a delicate flower. Then, it becomes firm. He cries into her shoulder; she cries into his.

It's the first time they hugged in four years.

"Sugu." His voice trembles. She hears fear. "It's really you." He stops crying, but he doesn't let go of her. "H… How?"

She swallows and inhales. "I wanted to play with you."

His hands move from her back to her shoulders. He puts enough distance between them to look her in the eyes. "You bought SAO? To play with me? But… but the game is closed. No one new can enter."

She shakes her head. "I've been here looking for you since the first day."

Kazuto flinches. "Why didn't you message me?"

She whipes away some of her tears. "I didn't know I could until today. I've been out there looking for you for a month. It was so lonely out there. Klein. He told me you'd be here today."

He smiles. "You have no idea how this game works, do you?" She shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I spent most of my time farming and grinding in places where you'd never be able to reach." He opens his menu and presses a few buttons. "This is a friend request. It'll make it easier for us to find each other." She accepts. He presses a few more buttons. "This is a party request. I promise I won't go anywhere dangerous." She accepts that one too. "You must've gotten bored hanging in these cities… Leafa. Nice na-" He stops speaking mid-sentence. His eyes open in astonishment.

"Brother? What's wrong?"

He takes a step back and points to nothing, possibly something in his display. "You're level six already?"

"Yeah? Am I higher than you?"

"No, but this makes you among the higher players in the game. You were in the dangerous parts looking for me, weren't you?" She nods. "Is it okay if I see your stats and skills? They're easy to mess up." She opens her skills and stats, hoping he can see them to. "Tracking's that high already? Damn. Parry's fine. Same with the sword. Your armor could use some improvements." He smiles. "Leafa, for someone who doesn't know what she's doing, you're doing a fine job of it."

She crosses her arms. "If I knew what I was doing, I would've messaged you on day one."

He scratches the back of his head. "Didn't you get the handbook? Argo has been releasing a bunch."

"I've hardly been in the towns and cities." Her shoulders droop. "I'm and idiot, aren't I?"

He holds her hands. "Leafa, you're amazing." His head lowers to the ground. "But, it's my damn fault for getting you in here."

She untangles one of her hands from his and lifts his head back up. "This was my choice, one I'll regret for the rest of my life, but it's mine." Her voice becomes firm. "We're getting out. I'll only allow you to be all regretful if we die. Got it?" He nods. She giggles. "Good. Now, you mentioned something about upgrading my stuff. We have about an hour until they have that meeting. Show me what your nerdy brain knows, brother."

"Kirito." She tilts her head in confusion. "No one talks about IRL in public. Sorta an unspoken rule, Leafa." She nods. "Now, the first thing we need to do is get you better boots…"

* * *

The duo is among the last to enter the small amphitheater. Leafa looks at her new numbers. Kirito knew what he was doing. They used all her cor and come of his, but the boosts were worth it. Plus, they caught up on what each other did during this month.

"I ran around and killed stuff," he said. "What about you?"

"I ran around and killed stuff," she said while holding back a giggle.

He did mention a few things about the next level. Fortunately, they'll get more options then. They… He promised to never leave her again. She won't be alone anymore.

As they sit down on the long seats, she thinks about the irony of the situation. She bought this game to become closer with her brother. It looks like she will be. All it took was sacrificing her real life… But, her brother already did that years ago. He holed himself in his room sacrificing his real life for games. _Did he feel this lonely too?_

She leans into her brother. It's amazing how many times she was touched in real life. Handshakes. Pats on the back. A hug from her mother. Even getting hit in kendo. None of that happened here, just monsters trying to kill her. Now, she has contact again, loving contact. It may look clingy, but the feeling is far too wonderful.

"Leafa." She looks up at her brother. "You notice something?"

Glancing at all the people here, it becomes obvious. One man stands at the bottom, clearly the one who'll be doing the talking in this stone structure. He has blue hair and a blue jacket, and he seems to give the vibes of someone with leadership experience. _He probably led something in real life. _Sitting in the amphitheater with them are a couple dozen men with weapons ranging from swords to spears to axes. Men.

"I'm the odd one out, aren't I?" She scoots closer to Kirito, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"It's a good thing grandfather wanted us in kendo instead of… I don't know… baseball." She raises an eyebrow. "Your sorta an expert swordswoman irl and stuck in a sword game." She nods.

"Ok!" The blue-haired man's voice sounds crisp and clear. "Let's get started, people! Thank you for coming today. My name is Diabel, and I have the knight role."

"There is no job system in this game! It's skill based!" yells one in the audience. A few other's voice their opinions. Several chuckles sound off as well. Leafa grunts. _Men's humor, ug. _He raises his arms to quiet everyone down. His grin shifts to a serious glare. "Today, our party found the boss room at the top of the tower."

Leafa whispers to her brother, "How hard are bosses?"

He doesn't break his gaze from Diabel. "Very."

"We need to defeat the boss, reach the second floor, and tell everyone waiting in the Town of Beginnings…" He raises his voice. "That it is possible to defeat this game! Everyone here shares this duty! Do you all agree?" The audience nods. Then, one member claps, soon followed by almost everyone else. Kirito simply smiles. "Alright, let's begin planning. First, divide into parties of six."

Before either sibling could react, the other players already formed their parties. Sugu would be willing to bet the parties leveled up together which is great. Except now, she and her brother are alone.

Out of the corner of her vision, she sees red. Turning left, she spots another player in a red cloak sitting by himself. After a moment, she determines that player is female too. The boots are one she recognizes as female and sorta cute too. She also sees some of her hair behind the hood. It's long and a hue of red. Leafa taps Kirito's shoulder and points to the girl. He nods.

They scoot over to her. Kirito asks, "You got left out too?"

Without moving, she answers, "I wasn't left out. I stayed out of it since everybody seemed to know each other already."

_She's a solo player too!_ Leafa extends her hand. "Wanna form a party with us? I'm Leafa and he's Kirito." The stranger looks at the extended hand but does nothing about it. "Kirito said this boss should be hard, so strength in numbers, right? Then, you can go solo again."

She nods. Kirito sends her a party request, and she accepts.

As if on cue… maybe he was waiting for the trio to make a party, Diabel clears his throat. "Okay, have you formed your parties?" Some nod. Other give him a thumbs up. Diabel grins. "Alright then-"

"Just a second!" Leafa looks up at the interrupter. He looks to be in his early thirties. His spiked hair doesn't fit the game at all, more like something she'd see in a punk concert. He takes a few bounds down from the top of the amphitheater to the bottom next to Diabel. "My name is Kibaou, and I wanna say something before we take on the boss."

He thrust his finger out at the audience and shouts, "Some of you need to apologize to the two thousand who have died so far!" _What is he talking about? Did some of these players murder others?_

"Kibaou." Diabel remains calm. "Are you referring to the beta-testers?" Leafa glances at Kirito. Her brother looks worried.

"Of course I am! On the day this stupid game started, the beta guys ditched us beginners, and they all disappeared. They took all the good hunting spots and easy quest for themselves, so only they could get stronger. And then." He nonchalantly waives his hand around. "They just ignored the rest of us." He clenches his hand into a fist. "I'm sure someone here was in the beta! They should get on their knees and apologize! Then, they should give up all the items and money they hoarded!" _Is this why Kirito stayed far away from other players, because they hate betas? _"Otherwise, we can't trust them to protest us as party members." _How does that even make sense?_

"May I speak?" A man from the audience, one who is certainly not Japanese by descent, raises his hand. She can hear the American accent in his calm voice. If it is weird for her to be among the few top female players, how hard would it be for him, the only man of African descent in a game full of Japanese players?

When he stands up, Leafa realizes he towers over everyone else by at least a head. He walks in front of Kibaou and dwarfs the spiky-haired jerk. "My name's Agil. Kibaou, tell me if I have this right. You're saying because the betas didn't take care of them, many beginners died. And, the betas should take responsibility, apologize, and provide compensation. Correct?" He kept his voice calm, but it has an off-putting edge, like a parent scolding a child.

"Y-Yeah."

"You got this guidebook, didn't you?" He pulls out a small, bound book, one that Leafa never saw before. "It was provided for free at most stores."

"Sure I did, why?"

"It was compiled from the information given by beta testers. Quest, monsters, skills, using the menu, everything. It's all in here. It was printed and offered for free thanks to Argo the Rat, one of the few betas to reveal she was one of them." He turns to the audience. "See this? Everyone had equal access to this information, and even still, many players died. I thought the topic of our meeting was to prevent more deaths and inspire hope, not to point fingers." He turns around and looks down at Kibaou. The two men hold glares, then the jerk walks to a bench and sits.

"Alright, we done?" asks Diabel as Agil takes a seat as well. He pulls out his own guidebook. "This is the newest edition and contains information on the boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord…"

Leafa sighs. Her brother is safe… for now.

* * *

Leafa pages through the guidebook. _This would've been so helpful to have earlier. _Such a small thing contains so much information, far too much for her to remember. Instead, she focuses on two aspects, parties and the first-floor boss. Switching seems straightforward enough. The boss… He has four stages of health with the last one turning him into some sword-wielding berserker. She avoided the hardest bosses during the last month, but now she'll be charging towards one. She could die.

_No, Kirito will protect me. _The name still sounds foreign to her, but it's who he is now. He's Kirito, a loner and one of the best in the game. Heck, she isn't Suguha anymore. She's Leafa. Plus, they won't be fighting the boss himself. Apparently, he has some weaker monsters protecting him. Since they're the smallest party, they were put on… How did Kirito put it? Mob duty.

Leafa hears the door unlock, so she sets down the book. They rented a room with two beds for the night. Until now, she slept outside to save money. According to the book, that was an incredibly stupid idea. At least she can sleep in a bed again.

Kirito enters the room and yawns. The floorboards creak under his footsteps and the door clicks shut behind him. He flops down face down on his bed. "I talked to Asuna again."

"Who?" She sits on her bed, body facing her brother.

"Our other party member? You do know… Oh." He turns his head towards her. Rings rest under his eyes from a lack of sleep. "You wouldn't know. Well, if you look under the health bar of a party member, you'd see their name."

"I don't see any for you." She crosses her arms, wondering if this is some prank.

"It'll show up when we're outside of room. These are considered safe zones in the game. Anyway, I gave her the rest of the butter. Not much of a talker, but I think she'll be a help during the boss fight."

The girl lies down on the bed and spreads her arms out. "Brother, why are you letting me fight? I… I thought you'd try to convince me to stay behind."

He chuckles. "Sis, when have I ever changed your mind?" Sugu laughs. THAT'S her brother. "Plus, I'll give you a teleport crystal. Plus, we'll be mopping up the mobs. Plus, you already are great with the blade."

She stares at the ceiling, more wooden planks. For some reason, the wood has a greyish tint in the dark. The bed and coloring almost remind her of her room… How did Mother and Father react when they walked into their rooms and found their children stuck? In a single day, they lost both of their children. Mother… She must be blaming herself, especially since she gave Sugu her blessing to play this game. Leafa wipes away a single tear.

"Brother?"

"Yeah?" He yawns again. She glances at him, and he fights to stay away.

"I miss our parents. How worried are they?"

"Very but… I… I think they believe we'll make it out. They know we'll look out for each other, and I will. Sugu, I swear on my life that you and me will stick together until we're outa here." _But, what if we die? Or… what if one of us dies, and the other lives?_

Leafa shivers. She doesn't say anything back. Within a few minutes, she hears his breathing fall into a slow rhythm. He seems peaceful when sleeping, like a little kid. _Who am I kidding? He's fourteen. _The girl tosses and turns in bed, but it doesn't feel right. It's too soft, like lying on a cloud. Cringing, she realizes the last month made her acclimated to sleeping outside on the hard earth. Sleep won't bless her with its presence tonight, not like this.

It reminds her of a vacation she and her family took to see some relatives. They were staying in a hotel room with three beds. Her parents had one. She and her brother had the other two. They must've been eight and nine at the time. She couldn't sleep then either, though that time was from the bed being too hard.

Suguha tossed and turned for hours until she was fed up with it all. Meanwhile, Kazuto slept like a log. The little girl stood up but looked at the ground. "B-Brother?" Her face flushed a bright red.

He forced open his eyes and yawned. "You okay?"

"Can I sleep with you?" Her hands grab onto the sides of her pajamas. "Please." She bowed, though it was rushed and sloppy.

He nodded and moved to the side of the bed. She climbed in with him. Suddenly, the bed didn't feel so hard anymore. The girl fell asleep within moments.

Leafa blinks and smiles at that memory. She turns in her soft bed again. She won't able to sleep like this. The teen stands up but looks at the ground. "B-Brother?" Her face flushes a light red. He keeps on sleeping. Her shoulders droop and she climbs back into bed. It takes another hour for her to fall asleep. The moment she does, Kirito opens his eyes.

"Sleep well, Sugu," he whispers. He knew what she wanted, but… He couldn't say yes. He just couldn't. He exhales slowly. With his sister asleep, he'll allow himself to as well, not just pretending.

_I'm so sorry, sis. Me and my stupid games got you stuck in here. _Under the covers, he clenches his fists until his knuckles turn white. _I'll fix this, somehow._

Leafa lets out a soft moan and turns in bed. Her head faces his. She looks so peaceful. _She still looks up to her big brother. _His heart twists in his chest. _I don't deserve that title. _He rolls to the other side of the bed, so his head faces the wall. _Fitting, because I don't have that title, not really._

* * *

Yui's comments:

Hello! One benefit from winter is having a partial day off from work because of all the fluffy snow and slippery ice. Instead of making snowmen, the author made another chapter! Hurray!

Even though original chapters are the one's the author would rather use, Diabel, Kibaou, Agil and Asuna all made their appearances during the amphitheater speech. It was also the scene where anti-beta sentiment was first expressed. Some canon scenes simply can't be avoided.

Why has Leafa cried so much this chapter? Think of it like this. How would a thirteen-year-old girl cope with the trauma of losing her family and being thrust into an unfamiliar world where she could die? Furthermore, she spent the prior month largely by herself which was an emotional toll. But, now she has Kirito with her!

About Kirito, he has his own troubles. Even though Leafa hasn't noticed yet, he still has psychological distance from his sister and guilt from being the cause of her imprisonment.

Now, onto the comments!

Flo463, interesting choice for the main pairing. The author and I expected that request eventually, but not as the first comment! While eventual pairings can't be confirmed, the dynamics between Sugu and Kazuto will remain at the heart of the story.

Aphaxy, the author didn't expect to publish so soon and was aiming for March 1st, but opportunity presented itself with several free hours. Plus, creative juices have been flowing wonderfully over the past few days. Still, we will strive to always keep a quality output. Sibling fluff is fun, probably the author's favorite thing to write about in general. There'll be a lot. We also will try to keep the focus on pairing lower than the average fanfic. It's always fun to do something different!

Wraith Five, you received the next chapter early, so the wait wasn't too long! Horrible weather irl has some benefits after all!

Worker72, you brought up some very well-thought-out points. We tried to address most of them in this chapter, but here is an explanation anyway. Both Klein and Leafa could've messaged Kirito at any time during the first month. Even strangers can if they know the name of the receiver; however, Klein thought Leafa would've known that common knowledge. Additionally, he didn't think much about her until he heard about the meeting in Tolbana. He figured she would be a top player since she was already level two when they met.

Leafa didn't know how to message Kirito because she never received the handbook, spending almost all her time at the uncivilized and unpopulated sections of the first floor. Was it a bad choice? Yes. Was it a newb mistake? Yes. On the bright side, it forced her to level up quickly and to be the best tracker at this point in the game.

If you or anyone else have any other questions or found any errors, please mention it. We want this story to make sense and follow the rules of SAO. Have a nice day! Since this chapter came out so unexpectedly quick, I won't make a prediction on the next chapter's release date. That'd be silly.

Thank you for the wonderful feedback so far! It's really nice to see!


	3. Chapter 3

Leafa waives at Asuna. The cloaked girl nods in return. The very atmosphere feels alive, like the final minutes before a Kendo tournament. If everything goes well, the first floor will be cleared. The best players around talk to each other in their full combat gear, though it's still low-level clothing. Other players, not able to fight but wanting to do something, stand at the edge of the street and cheer on the raiding party.

Kirito glances at them both. Sugu has been around her brother enough to know he's analyzing. He clears his throat. "So… I know Leafa hasn't been in a party before. Have you, Asuna?" The girl shakes her head. "Hm, well… I'll start with the basics. There's this thing we do called switching. Either of you heard of that?" They shake their heads.

Like soldiers walking to a battlefield or little boys in a marching band, the raiding party treks onward. They leave Tolbana and its guarantee of safety. For an hour, they walk from rolling hills to verdant forest. All the while, their footsteps carry a spring in each step. Laughter bursts out from the multitude like lighting in a storm. Their spirits are high. They have the information and the manpower to defeat the first floor's boss. How hard could it be?

Meanwhile, three figures walk in the back while speaking in hushed murmurs. Their steps sound subdued. Their faces look solemn. Instead of joking, they spoke about strategy and gaming mechanics.

Then, everyone stops. They reached the dungeon, a labyrinth spanning twenty floors. Of course, the boss lies at the top. Jovial mood ends. Trembling hands clutch swords. The once brave soldiers shift from side to side.

Leafa takes a deep breath. The time for talking and reflection is over. She watches Diabel push open the door. They step inside the tower, one that she'd never been in before.

"Don't worry," whispers Kirito to the two girls. "With a party this size, we'll easily make it to the twentieth level just fine." Leafa sighs in relief. Asuna grunts in affirmation. Ahead of them, a few players charge at some low-level enemies, just some half-rat minions. "Hey." He unsheathes his sword. "Wanna get some practice?"

Without a word, the two girls charge ahead. Kirito smiles at their eagerness, something he hasn't had for a while. His actions have been too calculated. For the past month, every move he made was to strengthen himself. Now, these two fight to strengthen the team, one he is part of. He charges behind them.

They fight with a raw fury. With all three of them built around speed, they overwhelm the mobs before their opponents could strike. While either three could do it all themselves, this is the safer option. Leafa never had to parry once. Instead, she'd switch with one of her partners.

By the time they reach a massive door on the twentieth floor, Leafa pants and sits down to rest. The other groups backed off after they saw the trio killing everything in sight. Perhaps the other wanted to save their strength for the boss… She won't let that bother her. In fact, she learned a rhythm to their combat. Switching made sense, and she got a grasp of how Kirito fights. Even Asuna with her rapier became predictable by the final floor. While it won't be fun to fight the deadly boss, the girl feels confident in her team.

Other players pull up their menus. Some shift their weight from foot to foot. One coughs. Behind that door is either their salvation or damnation. Either way, things won't ever be the same once they enter.

Leafa shivers. The room feels damp, more like a cave than the highest level of a tower. Only two torches illuminate the room, though there isn't much to see. Stone walls; stone floors. It's a sandy color. Only the six-meter, metallic door stands out.

Diabel shoves his sword in between the seams of the stone floor. All eyes turn to him. "Listen up everyone, I have only one thing to say." He clenches his right hand into a fist and shouts, "Let's win!" He turns around and touches the doors. They swing open, as if inviting them inside.

It reveals a throne room. Long and skinny, but wide enough for them to maneuver without trouble. Not a single torch provides its light. Cold air hits the players in the face. Leafa squints. A red figure sits in a stone throne, basking in his own power at the end of the room. Beside him lays an ax far taller than any player. The boss is over twice the height of anyone. His forearms are thicker than her waist. He opens his eyes. They glow red.

Diabel and a few other daring souls enter the room. Their footsteps echo against the barren walls. Almost immediately, the room around them changes. What was once colorless and dark becomes colorful and bright, like a neon rainbow. Leafa shades her eyes from the gleam.

Illfang the Kobold Lord leaps forwards. The walls shake when he lands. He puffs out his fatty, muscled chest and bellows a war cry. He holds an ax in one hand and a circular shield in the other while a sword is strapped on his back. She won't envy the players who'll fight the boss. Attacking minions will be easier. _Where are the minions? _

Three smaller kobolds materialize around Illfang. _That answers my question. _They wear full armor and carry maces, but they pale in comparison to the towering behemoth next to them. The four kobolds charge. In response, the players charge. The minions outpace their leader. _The boss is slow, but he might be able to kill us in a hit or two. _Leafa unsheathes her sword along with Asuna and Kirito. _Please don't do anything stupid, brother. _

The trio act as a single unit. One moment, they'd fight their own kobold minion. Then, one of them calls out for a switch. One ally takes the place of another and kill the enemy with the opening. It only takes a moment for another kobold to materialize, but the party kept their enemies on the defensive.

Diabel and the other parties keep all their focus on the boss. They chip away at his health. The tank players take the hits while the others attack. Diabel barks out orders, ensuring no player comes into danger. When their health becomes too low, he has them replaced by a fresh player to allow the exhausted one a chance to restore his health. After thirty minutes, three out of the four health bars on the boss are depleted. The final one is almost halfway.

Kiroto kills another minion. "Be careful, you two." He slashes at the kobold struggling with Asuna. "When that reaches half, he'll go berserk and take out his Talwar." Leafa nods, remembering the guidebook's information. This will be the deadliest stage. No one has died, yet.

Agil and Kibaou flank the boss from either side. Agil cuts the left leg with his ax while Kibaou stabs the beast in his chest. They jump back before the monster could strike. Instead, it swipes at the tanks, and they all fly back. _He never hit that hard. Not even close! _

Asuna stabbed a minion through his face. Leafa tenses. The minions stopped spawning. Her companion just killed the last one. Looking at Illfang's health, she sees the last bar has only half its health left. The mighty kobold tosses its ax and shield behind him and screeches in rage. It takes out its sword. _That doesn't look like a Talwar. It's a nōdachi! The guidebook is wrong. That means different attack patterns, a complete unknown. _

Diabel charges forward and activates a sword skill. It glows a bright yellow. "Stand back! I'll take him!" _Weren't we supposed to surround him? _

Kirito screams, "It's no good! Don't engage by yourself!" The knight ignores him and still charges. The trio stand at the back of the room, too far away to do anything. It's up to their leader. Whatever's going to happen will happen before they could stop it.

Illfang leaps with speed and agility it never had before. It lands behind Diabel and slices his chest before he realizes what happened. Using the same momentum from the first swing, the monster hits the man again causing him to launch backwards. His limp body crashes into the wall behind the trio like a ragdoll. Kirito rushes to the player's side.

The boss attacks the stunned parties. They're now disorganized, disheartened. Sugu knows enough history on warfare to remember how many armies collapse just because their leader… died. This is one of those moments. _They're going to die. _She tightens her grip on her sword and charges forward without a second thought. Asuna sprints by her side. Every step they take is another player being hit, though none with the same damage as Diabel.

Illfang sees the charging duo and so does the other players. They retreat, carrying their wounded. _We bought them time. _Leafa charges her blade with a vertical strike. Just as it reaches its maximum potential, the killer swings down at the girl. Their blades collide, sending both careening back. _He's vulnerable._ "Switch!" she calls.

Asuna charges forward. Her rapier glows with power. The enemy steadies his grip on the nōdachi. "Asuna!" Kirito calls out a warning. Unlike Diabel, Asune heeds his warning and jumps to the left. The blade misses her head by inches, but it scratches her cloak. It shatters, losing all its durability from just the scratch.

Leafa sees her ally's face at last. The girl's long hair has a brown and red tint. Her face has soft features, no doubt popular among boys. Her eyes are vibrant, alive. _No wonder she was wearing a cloak around these dudes. _Not a second after losing her cloak, she stabs Illfang in the side, taking a chuck out of its remaining health.

Kirito follows up in his attack, focusing more on striking nōdachi than on damaging the monster. _He's giving us the chance to attack. _Leafa and Asuna attack from other side of the monster, dodging its occasional jabs. Kirito continues his onslaught, forcing the boss to stay off-balance. _He's doing the work of a tank. _She slashes at his giant, red foot. _How much time does he have left? _

To answer the question, Illfang counterattacks her brother. His sword nearly flies out of his hand. With that opening, the red demon slices at the boy. He flies backwards, health draining like a waterfall, and crashes into Asuna.

With nothing else to distract it, Illfang slices downwards too fast for Leafa to dodge. _I'll be cleaved in half unless… _She parries the blow. Her sword cracks, and a shockwave slams into the other players, including Agil and his team. _I am truly alone. _

The monster presses all his weight onto the girl. Her legs tremble. She can't run away. The moment she stops parrying, the nōdachi will slice through her. Her sword cracks again. He left leg buckles causing her to drop to a knee. She's facing a giant. Soon, she'll fail. She won't be able to protect Kirito anymore. With her arms trembling, she feels tears streaming down her cheeks.

_No! No! I can't fail! Not now. I've faced a giant before! _It brings back a painful memory. She can't remember where they were, but she remembers what happened. She remembers Kirito's pain and what she did to save him.

Suguha stood frozen in place, unable to comprehend what she's seeing. Grandpa hurt Kazuto before, but never like this.

"Dishonorable!" He slapped her brother again. Ever since she was five, they've been instructed by their grandfather, a renowned kendo teacher. He's… harsh. For the past few weeks, Kazuto has been withdrawing. Now, he told their grandfather he wants to quit. "You soil your family's good name!" He slapped her ten-year-old brother again. He doesn't run away, instead just standing there and taking another beating.

Suguha looked at the towering, grey-haired man. His eyes contained fury. If only mom was here. She'd stop this, but she wasn't. It's just them. The girl shut her eyes to stop the tears and clenched the sides of her shorts.

"Grandfather!" she shouts. Her voice trembled under the crushing fear. "I will train twice as hard! I will train like two people, so Kazuto can quit!" She heard his heavy footsteps approach her and feels his presence loomed over her.

He said just one word to her. "Fine." He walked away. Only then did Suguha open her eyes again. See saw her brother wipe away the blood trickling down his ear. Their eyes made contact, then he turned his gaze to the floor and wiped away the snot coming down his nose. That night, he hid in his room and never came out, not until morning.

He never did thank her. He never did play with her, not like before. Part of her wanted to blame grandfather for it, as if everything was his fault. She shed no tears when he died a year later, but… she never really believed it was his fault. No, somehow, she feels like Kirito withdrew because of her.

Leafa lets out a scream. Pushing up with all her might, she gets back to her feet. Her sword cracks again, durability all but gone. _Goodbye, Kirito. _Her sword shatters. _Win this game for me. _

With a powerful sweep, Agil counters Illfang with his axe. "We'll take care of this." He and his party charge ahead. They engage the monster but can't score any hits. _They're buying Kirito and Asuna more time. _Turning around, she sees Asuna pouring a healing potion down Kirito's throat. His health points go from deep red to a healthy green.

After three seconds of fighting, Illfang's force of his blows causes Agil and his group to fall. As he swings down to kill the ax wielder, Kirito hits the monster's nōdachi with a fully charged attack again. Like last time, both fly backwards, but this time he charges ahead immediately. _I'm sorry I have no sword, brother. _Asuna charges beside him. _Keep him safe._

"One more time!" he shouts. With unrestrained fury, the duo slice and stab at the kobold. It has no chance to recover. Asuna shoves her sword into his gut, and Kirito slices up. It's red skin peels apart up to its neck. It lets out a pathetic gurgle, then shatters into a thousand pieces.

Everyone stands still. _Did… did we… _Over the throne, a single word appears in bold letters. "CONGRATULATIONS!"

_We won. _

The players around her cheer. Leafa runs to her brother, kneeling on the floor and panting. He reads a small massage screen in front of him. "Congratulations. You got the last attack bonus." He taps it. "Bonus Item: Coat of Midnight."

"Brother." Leafa can hardly contain herself. The elation of adrenaline carries her. "I, um… need a new sword." She lets go of the shattered hilt.

Asuna smiles at him, the first time she showed any emotion.

"Great job," Agil says. Unlike the celebrating masses, he came up to congratulate the victor. "All three of you, that was amazing." Behind them, the other players clap… clap at them. It reminds her of the time she won the big kendo tournament.

Kirito looks down in shame. "But… Diabel…"

"Why!" She knows that voice. It causes everyone to stop cheering. "Why did you let Diabel die?!" Leafa looks around and doesn't see the knight… He… He really must be dead.

Kibaou pushes his way from the back of the crowd. When he gets to the front, he falls on his knees and slams his fist to the ground. "You knew what technique the boss would use! You could've warned us beforehand!" He punches the ground again. He cries. "He was my friend, but you just let him die!"

The crowd murmurs for a moment. Then, one of them shouts, "He must be a beta-tester! That's how he defeated the boss so easily! He knew the attack patters but didn't tell us. And he's not the only one, is he? There's more of you, more of you that could've stopped Diabel from dying!"

The crowd talks. Some people point fingers at other. A few tighten their grips on their weapons. _What the hell?_

"Stop it!" Leafa's voice silences accusations. She points at her brother. "He just saved your lives! Diabel didn't follow his own plan. That's why he died!"

Kibaou stands up. "You," he growls. "You held up to Illfang's attack. You kept on parrying the blow. No one should be able to do that, especially with just a sword." He points his finger at her face. "That's impossible. You cheated! You and your beta boyfriend could've saved Diabel! Why not!"

Some in the crowd shout. A few tell Kibaou to stop. Most shout at them in rage. "Cheater!" "Beta!" One shouts, "Beater!" The name catches. "You're Beaters!" scream many. _I'm scared. _Kibaou gets in her face and screeches, "Damn murderous Beater!" His spit hits her cheeks.

Leafa doesn't see it coming. The fist connects with flesh. Kibaou stumbles back from the blow and falls on his back. Kirito doesn't let up from his assault. He lands on top of the man and pulls him face to face by his shirt.

"Yell at me if you want," he growls. "Call me names. Hurt me. I don't care." The crowd became silent again, stunned by Kirito's rage. "My sister is no beta. She's just thirteen and saved your life. Do anything to her ever again, and I'll kill you. Easily." He stands up and faces the crowd. "You despicable filth! Don't ever threaten Leafa again! I'm a beta, one of the best. She's just a little girl in her first video game EVER!"

He opens his menu and equips the Coat of Midnight. "And I can tell you the name of one other beta since you wanna know so bad." It's a black trench coat, perfect for her brother's style. If she didn't know him so well already, his appearance and his anger would scare her. "Diabel was one too, so he knew about the last attack bonus. Being selfish gets you killed."

With that bombshell, the crowd becomes pacified. As he walks past Agil, he smiles at the man. Agil nods back. Leafa follows her brother to the circular staircase behind throne. At the top, the doors to the second floor opened.

"Wait!" The duo turns around. Kirito still clenches his fists in anger. Asuna stands behind them. "Can I come with you?" Her brother looks at the crowd. Already, Agil and his party edge away from the masses. He looks at Leafa. She smiles at him.

Kirito nods. "Until we get away from them, but then you'll need to find a guild. You can do only so much on your own. Find people who won't stab you in the back."

Without hesitation, the redhead says, "Deal." The trio enter the second floor together, the first three to do so in this death game.

Kibaou still cries in the throne room.

* * *

Yui's Comments: With adrenaline surging and dealing with the death of their leader, people can often make poor, emotional-based choices. This chapter had a little less character development than last time but more plot. The boss is dead after all. I hope you found the fight against the boss interesting. The author tends to have a tough time writing those.

Will Asuna stay in the group? Time will tell, though I already know. He he.

Why did the players accuse Sugu of cheating? She was the only player during the battle who able to continuously parry Illfang's sword. Other players may have been able to do it, but her determination, real-life skills, and Parry skill all worked together. However, to others, it may have looked suspicious.

Now, onto the comments. _I'll take it from here. _Hello! This is the author, everyone! _Thanks… As one reviewer pointed out, it was… hard to respond to comments with the help of Yui. I'll just do that part myself. You can take a break now, Yui. _Thanks!

Flo463, _it's interesting to see you mention Sachi. While it is important to show the readers and viewers "Hey, this is a DEATH game", making a character just to kill her almost immediately seems sorta… cheep. While this fanfic has been following pretty closely to the canon material, let's just say there might be more divergences coming up. Oh, but we won't see the Moonlit Black Cats next chapter. There are a few things I'd like to do first. _

Worker72, _how'd you like the battle scene? I know lots of these fanfics specifically say what kind of attacks they use, but I chose not to. Battle scenes are normally hard enough for me already, but I think I've been getting better… I hope. If it was boring, please let me know, anyone. I'm ALWAYS open to criticism. My goal is to be the best writer I can be, not a prideful one. _

_As for the battle, Diabel died. This time, Kirito threw him under the bus for being another beta and punched Kibaou in the face among other things. The effects will be different from canon. Some good. Some bad._

Goodalwayswins98, _I'm sorta surprised I haven't seen this premise much either. There's a lot of "What if Sinon was there" but not for Leafa. I already have a pretty interesting brother and sister scene for next chapter. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that I'm working with a thirteen and a fourteen year old. It also gives me some fun options for their dynamics._

SaintInfernalNeos, _yeah… sorry about the spelling/grammar errors. It's not my strongest attribute to say the least. (Anyone, feel free to point them out whenever. I'll fix 'em up.) _

_Yep, this'll be a Sugu-centered story with an inclination to favor characterization and emotions. (Asuna will get some development soon too. I feel like she's been sorta left out so far.) Suga is one of my two favorite characters from the series, the other being Sinon. Since she won't be in this story, Sugu is my favorite._

_Will they be paired together? Maybe. Even though I have a bunch planned out, my stories tend to adapt as they go along. Even if I did have a pairing decided (which I don't yet), it'd have a good chance of changing by the end. Plus, I often let characters "write themselves". There's been a few scenes where one character basically decided to do something I didn't plan out. In other words, not even Kayaba Akihiko knows.  
_

_Also, dang it. I got the pain system messed up. Time for some research. What am I going here…_

_Yeah, you're right. It was hard to have Yui respond to the reviews last time. That paired with you comment convinced me to just respond to them like a normal person. Thanks for the detailed review!_

Warorpeace, _I'm sorta following both. I'm more familiar with the anime to be honest, so any contradictory information/plot lines (such as how Asuna and Kirito met) would favor the anime. Still, the Progressive line has a lot the anime doesn't cover. For example, next chapter wasn't in the anime. _

_I can't find definitive information on the crystals except they're obtainable through NPC purchases (except the corridor crystal which's only obtained through drops). So, I'm not sure if they were available on the first floor. If anyone knows, I'd love to know. Also, thanks for finding those spelling errors. I fixed them._

YourWaifuIsTrashAndSoAmI, _Oh! You mentioned Silica! Hurray! I won't spoil anything, but one of the first things I realized when figuring out how Sugu's presence would change things was Silica. She reminded Kirito of Suga, but now Sugu is with him. She also had the same problem Sugu did in canon. "He's like a big brother, but I also LIKE him." I'm looking forward to having Silica in the story._

_Thank you everyone for your support so far! This's a lot of reviews, favorites, and follows. Thanks!_

Also, Argo says hi.

_Yui, I thought we agreed not to do that. _

Sorry… It's too late now! They know!


	4. Chapter 4

"Kirito, what town is this?" Part of Leafa hoped the second floor would look different. Maybe bricks? Something to make it look distinctive would be nice. Instead, it's dull, as if the curtains to a play rose only to reveal another set of curtains. If she didn't know any better, she'd say they stepped into Tolbana again.

Her brother's eyes dart around. "Urbus. A few good restaurants. Overpriced vendors. We better get going."

Leafa tilts her head to the side. "Brother, why's your little diamond thingy orange?" She points over his head. His was green. Hers is green. Asuna's is green. Heck, even that jackass who threatened her had a green diamond thingy.

His hands tighten into fists. "That's why we need to get outa here. I struck a green player outside a duel. I'll be orange for about three days."

Asuna clears her throat. "And what does that mean?"

"It means the game labeled me a _bad guy_ for the time being, and I can be killed by others without penalty. Normally, killing someone gets you a permanent orange."

Leafa stomps on the ground and huffs. "That's stupid! You defended me against captain shitface and-"

"Language, Leafa." He crosses his arms. "I'm going that way." He points down a dirt path. "I want you two to get some supplies here. The boss reward should be enough. Then, meet my contact in the town square. She'll have painted whiskers."

Leafa stands with her mouth hanging open. _What? _Asuna recover quicker. "Why?" _You'll leave me so soon, big brother? _

He points at Asuna. "You need to get a guild." He motions to his sister. "And you need a new sword. She'll get you set up with both. I'll be waiting for you both."

Before either girl could respond, he dashes off. His black trench coat flutters behind his feet. His dark form contrasts with the browning grass of the topography, mostly just rolling hills like last time.

Asuna grabs Leafa by the hand. "Let's go before the witch hunt arrives." She drags the younger girl through the town. As they rush, Leafa notices a few subtle differences from the previous floor. It smells more like fall, early fall. The people seem a bit dirtier. The stalls have fewer metallic choices and more agrarian or wooden ones. _A more rural level? _

The redhead pauses at one vendor, a man with skinny arms and a giant mustache. He has clothes behind him, devoid of any flamboyancy and designed for practicality instead. _Definitely a rural level._ Without saying anything, Asuna opens a purchase screen and makes two purchases. Two brown cloaks materialize in her hands. "Here." She holds out one, so Leafa takes it. Cloaks seemed to work for Asuna, so it should work again.

They repeat the same process two more times. Once with food and again with basic healing potions. Both times, Asuna gave half to Leafa. Her heart was pounding by the time they reached town square. She hadn't experienced the exhilaration from a frantic shopping trip in… months. _I miss home. _

"I take it you shop a lot, Asuna?" The girl in question plops herself down on a bench. Leafa does the same. "It looked like you knew what you were doing." The town square has over a dozen benches around the perimeter. A large stone well sits in the center surrounded by a patch of grass. Footsteps clatter around them, attached to players motivated to explore a new world.

"Sorta." The redhead looks around. Every second seems to be another player coming into their view. Leafa doesn't recognize any of them from the raiding party, but one will show up sooner or later. She hopes none of them will notice two cloaked girls sitting on a bench. "But, not in this game."

Leafa looks at her group member. She sits reserved but proper. "Why'd you stay with us?"

Asuna opens her mouth to reply but closes it. Leafa hears the word _Beater _in some conversation two dudes have, but they walk by. She doesn't turn to look at them. "Kirito knows the game, and you two are nice people." The rapier wielder glances at her feet. "And, uh, you're a girl… That's…"

"Nice? Yeah." She giggles. _She thinks the same way! _"We were the only two in the raiding party. Must've been why they acted like idiots." She opens her menu and fumbles with the controls. After a few tries, she succeeds. A friend request pops in front of Asuna. "Wanna be friends?" The girl tentatively presses the button. "Great!"

Now, that's three people on her Friends List!

"Who's Klein?" Asuna leans over to get a better look at the girl's screen. "Boyfriend?"

"Eek! Ew, no." She shakes her head as her face reddens. "He's twice my age. He helped me out a little as we've been playing, including when he told me about the boss raid. Nice guy, hopelessly single, and the leader of a guild."

"I'm with Kii-bou." A hand strong wraps around either girl's shoulder. The voice sounds nasally but female. "I'm the info broker. Act natural." Leafa glances at the presence behind them.

The info broker can't be more than a year or two older than her. Under the cloak covering her dirty brown hair are six whiskers painted on her face. She smiles like a Cheshire cat, but her eyes betray a wit and cunning beyond anyone her age should possess.

The info broker whispers, "There's two idiots in ninja garb at my five o'clock. Walk outa town with me, and your info will be free." She shifts her voice to a loud and cheery one. "It's so great to see you two again? How's it been?"

_What the hell? _"Great!" Leafa stands. "Let's get going. We have a lot to catch up on." _Also, idiot ninjas? I didn't think this game had any of those people._

The info broker stays uncomfortably close to the two girls, an arm around each. She leads the pair through the streets in Kirito's direction. Leafa tries to spot two ninjas, but she sees only normal players and NPCs. No one gives them a second look.

They leave the city and with it the safe zone. The info broker veers off the path but seems to know where she's going. The grass on the first floor felt soft under her feet. This grass crunches, almost like leaves in the fall. "They're still trailing us." The mysterious girl sounds more annoyed than afraid. "Can't let them see Kii-bou, right?" The girl stops, forcing the others to stop as well.

They turn around. She spies two figures approaching in the distance, dressed in fully black clothing. It will take a few minutes for them to arrive.

"Will they be hard?" Asuna rests her hand on the rapier's hilt. With her hood up, Leafa can't see the girl's face, but her body seems tense.

"For you two? Nah. Challenge them to a half-health duel and beat the shit outa them." The girl pinches the top of her nose and shakes her head. "Where's my manners? The name's Argo."

"Nice to meet you, I'm-"

"You're Leafa. She's Asuna. Kii-bou gave me a heads up, and I'm about to help you two a lot."

The youngest of the trio tilts her head to the side. "How come?"

"Kii-bou is my favorite customer!" She giggles. "Plus, you're gonna get me a lot of money. Those ninjas know there's a Martial Arts ability on this level, one that doesn't take up your skill slots. Since they're assholes, I'm not selling the info. Instead, you three will get it, punch some monsters, then everyone will be clamoring for it." She smirks. "Guess who's the only one they could go to?"

"I take it you're a businesswoman, maybe your parents?" Asuna hasn't taken her eyes off the ninjas once.

"That'd cost ya 10,000 cor." The redhead shakes her head. "Thought so. Anyway, lets get this over with. I don't feel like wasting any more time with these idiots." She takes an item out of her inventory and hands it to Leafa.

"This is Kirito's sword." The blade feels heavier than her previous one.

Argo gives a thumbs up. "Yep, being a middleman means I'm carrying around tons of cool stuff others wanna sell. This sword is the best one you can get one the first two floors. It's yours for free. I'll cover the cost. I'm losing a boatload of cor on this."

"Why?"

"First, I want you to whack those ninjas." The girl looks at the ground and clenches her fists. Gone is her playful tone. "And if anyone should've known someone was looking for Kii-bou, it was me. I didn't. This my apology for my failure." She looks up again, her face cheery once more. "We good?"

Leafa nods. "Of course."

* * *

Argo leads them behind a hill, one among dozens. At the bottom, Kirito sits and stares into the distance. Leafa has no idea how the info broker and her brother knew this specific location would be their rendezvous point. "Brother!" The girl sprints toward him, but he doesn't turn around as he stands. She sees only the back of his head.

"Was everything alright? It… took you a while." Something sounds off about his tone, but she can't place it. It's as if he forces his words to sound normal.

Argo yawns. "Yeah, they beat the crap outa some ninjas. Nothing to worry about. Got Leafa an Anneal Blade too." She walks up to the boy. "You ready to go? We, uh…" She looks back at the two girls the moment she reaches Kirito's side. "That way." She points to the distance. "Three hour walk. You can walk ahead a bit, Kii-bou. I'm gonna make loyal customers outa these two." She grins like a predator.

Kirito nods and marches forward. She sees the corner of his face. _Was… was that…_

Argo puts her arms over either girl's should. "Since you two are newbs at gaming, I can give you a quick rundown free of charge. I wouldn't want any of my customers dying on me!"

Asuna nods. Leafa does as well, but it was automatic. Her thoughts dwell on Kirito. _I'm sure of what I saw. Big brother is crying. Why aren't you letting me help you? What did I do wrong?_

A small mountain range looms ever closer in the distance. Unlike the land around it, the peaks are a dark grey. She can't spy any life on them, just rock. It stands in direct contrast to this area. Along with the browning grass, small shrubs dot the hills, some cross between tumbleweeds and bushes.

The mobs here seem dangerous. They hadn't fought any yet. Argo and Kirito led them past the enemies, sacrificing experience for speed. She sees mobs of cows, killer cows. She'd giggle if they were playing a game. Instead, at least one player will be killed by a herd of cows if they don't clear this floor soon enough. She saw a few centaurs in the distance too, though Argo kept them far away from those guys.

They reach the mountains, and Argo shows them a rocky, unused path behind an outcropping of boulders. "This'll take you there. Old guy with an even older dojo. You can't miss it."

Kirito turns around, the first time he revealed his face in hours. Leafa sees no trace of tears. "Thanks, Argo."

The girl chuckles. "Thank me only if you complete it, Kii-bou. If you do, tell me about it. Okay?" He nods. "Alrighty! See you later." Asuna and Kirito walk down the path. Leafa follows, but she stops when a hand grabs her wrist. Argo whispers, "Take care of him. Got it?"

"I'll be glad to." Argo sends a friend request. She accepts. "You're gonna try to find Asuna a good guild?" Argo gives a thumbs up. Leafa glances at her friend list again… _Would this work?_ "How good is Klein's guild?"

Argo shrugs. "The Fuurinkazan? They're a mid-level guild. Probably won't make it onto the front lines for the next few floors. I'd say their guild leader is one of the better ones, and he's a good customer." The girl chortles as she realizes what Leafa suggested. "Them? That'd be hilarious to see a bunch of grown men trying to be samurai and a girl simply killing everything with a rapier instead. Yeah, I'll look into it."

"Thanks." She glances back at her two companions.

"Good luck."

"You too." Argo sprints off. Leafa jogs towards her group.

* * *

This is day three. Three days. Two nights. What have they been doing? One thing. Punching a rock. They're been punching a hard rock for three days. If this was real life, Leafa's hands would look like ground beef.

She sits with her brother. Asuna punches the rock. Today, they decided to take shifts. It sucks, though Kirito has it worst. Until they complete the quest, six painted whiskers rest on their faces, just like Argo's. On Asuna and her, it looks fine. Meanwhile…

"I still think you look like a dork." She nudges him in the shoulder. He grunts and keeps his ever-present serious face. For the past three days, she couldn't get even a smile from him. "Lighten up. We'll get it eventually."

"We're missing all the good exp. If we don't do this, it'll be a lot of time and pain sacrificed for nothing." He shifts. Rocks down make the best seats. They should've bought a pillow or two when they were in town.

"Don't be so pessimistic." She gives him a warm smile. "I'm sure we can do it." Her brother grunts. "And stop being so gloomy. Are you going to spend the entire game being alone and wearing black?"

"I'm still going to wear black." True. His Coat of Midnight has that name for a reason. "It's… Just be careful, okay?"

They sit in awkward silence for minutes. _What can I say? _He looks through his game menu. _What can I do to open him up? Oh! If I can't get him to talk willingly, I'll force him to clarify things!_

"How'd you know Argo? Is she your _GIRLFRIEND_?"

"No! No! Nothing like that!" He stands and waives his arms back and forth. His cheeks become redder than apples. "I knew her from the beta. Since I was solo, I needed a lot of info. That's all!"

She suppresses the urge to laugh and continues with her charade. "Really? Then why'd she call you, Kii-bou?"

He rubs his eyes. "Ugh, that's just how she is. You'll get a nickname soon enough. I think she does it to remember hundreds of names."

Leafa laughs. "You're so easy to tease!" She can't say anything else for the next minute. She's too busy laughing. The moment she starts to calm, she looks at his embarrassed face and laughs all over again. "Kirito, the best player in Sword Art Online," she says in a serious, deep voice. "His only weakness, mentioning the word _girlfriend_."

He shakes his head. "You're unbearable."

She points at him. "And you need to stop being so broody and loosen up a bit. If not, I'll force you to." His shoulders droop.

The boulder breaks with an explosive crack. Brother and sister jump back. Asuna's arm is still outstretched, but she has a wide grin on her face. "I figured it out!" She punches the remaining hunk of the stone again, and it breaks apart. "It's easy! I can show you in no time!"

_Finally. _

* * *

They enter a town, not a city. Kirito said these are used by players for their inns. That's about it. Every floor has its giant starting city, and there's another large town somewhere; however, the designers thought there should be more safe zones. They'd be dotted around every floor, with only NPCs inside them most of the time. This is one of those towns.

Perhaps _village_ would be a better word. It has an inn which serves some food and drink on the first floor. Two NPCs have shops selling some of the most basic potions and foods. About ten other buildings exist. Kirito mentioned that the NPCs live as if they're real people. If they broke inside the buildings, they'd find kitchens and bedrooms, maybe a few children. _I wonder if they know they aren't people. _

"Brother." She points to a sign. "Could we buy this?" After squinting to see in the dimming light of the setting son, she reads, _For Sale by Owner: 150,000 Cor. _It's a one-story house with a straw roof. A brick chimney exits through the left side of the roof. The home couldn't have more than two bedrooms inside from the small size. The walls are made of stone and… "Mud? Is that mud?"

"Yep." He yawns. She told him he should be getting more sleep. Maybe he'll sleep more now that his orange curser moved to green. "Mud. Don't worry. These things won't degrade. It's more cosmetics than anything, though this is a good price." Asuna walks ahead of the siblings. She talks to an NPC with an exclamation mark over her head.

"Bleh, I wouldn't wanna live here." Except for the one night before the boss raid, she slept outside. Even so, she has standards. This house doesn't meet them. "I'm fine with renting rooms."

He shrugs. "We'll get a place of our own eventually."

Leafa analyses her brother. Is he being serious? "Really?" She gets a nod in reply. "Really!" She claps her hands together. "We'll get a home? Oh, I wanna table, a pretty wood table. And we can have plates. Maybe I could get a cooking skill too! I could make miso soup or maybe figure out a way to make soy sauce! We could get a clock, the kind with a little bird! And-"

"Leafa." He claps his hands on her shoulders. "Slow down." She takes a deep breath. They never talked about this before, but she'd love the idea. They'd have a place all to themselves. Their happy home in a world of hell. "For now, we'll camp and rent. By the tenth floor or maybe sooner, we could buy a place. People started buying them at the end of the beta. Eventually, a hundred and fifty thousand won't even dent our pocketbooks."

"Hey, guys!" Asuna waives at them. "This girl offered me a wood-chopping quest. I'll be behind that building. It shouldn't take long."

"Keep an eye out for any other players. Okay?" The redhead nods at Kirito before running off.

"You sure she can't stick around, brother?" Asuna hasn't been the most talkative person… Well, she does talk, but it's on the more serious side, like Kirito. Neither of them wants to talk about silly or stupid things. Even so, she proved that she'll stick by their side. With assholes like Kibaou around, that'd come in handy. Plus, she could have girl talk. Leafa loves her brother, but there are some conversations that wouldn't work with him… _Though, maybe I should anyway just to mess with him. _

"I'd love to, honestly." He blushes a little. "Don't misinterpret that, but…" He scratches the back of his head. "Going solo would be safe, but I'm not doing that. A duo isn't that bad of a choice, but three could be risky. It'd be better if we had an even number or were in a larger group. Plus, you and I have Beater stigma. I don't think Asuna has any. I'd prefer to keep it that way, at least until the emotions and furry die down. They will eventually."

She nods. Kirito opens his menu to check the time. "Argo should be here any minute. She's good at arriving on time for rendezvous." He walks to the wall of the for-sale building and leans against it. After adjusting his Coat of Darkness, he crosses his arms. Seeing another opportunity to mess with her brother, Leafa takes the same position with one… minor adjustment. "Leafa, why are you puffing out your cheeks?!"

_To get you to stop being so serious all the time! _She deflates her cheeks and giggles. "I was making my _Broody Kirito _pose. You like it?"

He sighs. "Can you please stop teasing me? It's not nice." _Not nice? Not nice! I'm doing this to be nice. This is the only thing that can make you stop clamming up._

"Then open up a little!"

He throws his arms up in frustration. "I'm being perfectly open!"

"No, you're not!" Tears stream down her face. She found being even a little sad would cause her avatar to bawl. "You were crying when Argo took us to you! I saw it." He takes a step back and looks away. "I…" _I messed up. _Kirito clenches his fists. _I shouldn't have said that. _"You… You're hurting too. Don't pretend to be strong. I…" She scrunches her eyes shut to stop the tears. She blurts, "I think you're the strongest person I know anyway!"

Through gritted teeth, he mumbles, "Why? I get you stuck here. Now, I can't protect you either. That crowd almost-"

"You got them to stop. That's why I think you're strong. No, I know you're strong. Just… just don't shut me out again. Please."

She turns around and walks away. _I blew it. Damn it! _A strong hand grasps her wrist. Without letting go, Kirito walks in front of her. His eyes lock onto hers. "If… If you ever think I'm withdrawing from you, tell me. I don't want to do that anymore, not to you."

"Okay." She raises her hands to hug him. He nods.

Even some of the NPCs stopped what they were doing. With smiles on their faces, they watched two young players hugging in the middle of the street.

* * *

Yui's Comments:

A lack of communication hurts any relationship. Kirito and Leafa took the first steps in that regard. This chapter and the next one (and maybe more) will act as transition pieces. The period between the boss raid and meeting the Moonlit Black Cats was wide. Quite a few gaps need to be filled. Asuna and Argo get some characterization. Asuna will find where she belongs. Anti Beater and Beta sentiment will continue.

As in many fanfictions, Argo will have a presence, though that should be somewhat obvious with what happened in this chapter. There are several important characters in this story (like me!) that haven't even been introduced yet, but the story can't become too sidetracked. It is, after all, a story about Suguha and Kazuto. I'm sure the author will pull it off!

Onto the responses to the wonderful reviewers! _Thanks, Yui. Wow, there's a lot here. Hurray! _Also, forgive the author if the comments seem… off. They were written late at night (or early in the morning depending on one's perspective) with a large headache. They aren't edited as closely as the actual story. _Thanks for warning them, Yui. _

Goodalwayswins98, _you're right in that Kirito's different response will lead to a different sentiment (and different group of clearers) among the masses. That'll be a major part of the next chapter. One of the things I like doing in AU fics is having the effects give positive and negative changes to the story. I don't want it to be too grimdark or unbearably happy. As for Sinon, those are the reasons I like her. Plus, it's how she has a full character arc that's well-written._

SaintInfernalNeos, _trying to balance emotional maturity and the young age of my protagonist can be a bit tricky. This chapter was particularly hard for writing Sugu. In some ways, she was acting very childish, but it had a mature purpose behind it. She saw her brother hurting and wanted him to open. Since teasing him seemed to work best, she pressed from that angle. _

_Kazuto's reaction wasn't technically negative to Sugu saving him from their grandfather. (Also, I had a continuity error in that. Oops.) He was closing off already with quitting kendo being a part of it. Since Sugu had no idea what he learned and what was going through his head, she assumed that he might have been closing off because of her somehow. Miscommunication kills. _

_I do have a few things planned out very specifically. (For example, I know what I'll be doing with Klein and his guild, Asuna, and the Laughing Coffin respectively.) Other things can be less planned, such as character relationships. (For example, I know generally how I want Silica's relationships with Kirito and Leafa to generally end up, but I'm not exactly sure how they'll get there.) Then again, a character occasionally writes their own scene and I must make a few changes to my plans as a result. _

_As for Asuna, you'll see if she'll be sticking around with them long-term next chapter. And you're right, Kirito is very guilt-ridden and now somewhat (rightfully) paranoid about the dangers other players pose to Leafa._

Td03_, thanks for liking this! I hope you'll enjoy the ride!_

Worker72, _I did wonder if the player reaction was too subdued. I think the only thing that saved Kirito was his screaming how Leafa is his thirteen-year-old sister. He essentially just defended his sister from a grown man screaming at her. _

_The next chapter will also cover the (lack of) organization among the clearers. I also fully intend to complete this. For me, the question is more where I'd want to place the ending. At the end of the SAO arc? Maybe a little after? I already know how the story could progress into the GGO arc. So many choices!_

Flo463, _everyone seems to be interested with Kirito punching Kibaou in the face. I'm honestly surprised I don't see it being done more often. Kirito takes on the evil beater mantle time and time again. Also, that's a lot of people who you like shipping. Maybe one of those will happen… maybe…_

Warorpeace, _from what I can tell, orange is permanent if a player kills a green player without provocation. The cursor becomes temporarily orange under the case of assault, as in Kirito's case. I might be wrong, but those are the mechanics I'm using until I find other information. _

_As much as Kirito wanted to honor Diavel, he wasn't going to hold back when defending his little sister. I agree. It fit with his personality. Oops. I'll fix that spelling error you pointed out. _

Quality over Quantity, _yep, no harems. Kirito now has a companion for the entirety of his time in SAO. Hopefully, it will be for the benefit of both of them. _

_Anyway, thank you everybody once again for all the support! Yui, don't spoil any characters appearing like you did with Argo. _

You're no fun.

_I know. You'll get your fun eventually. _

Okay!


	5. Chapter 5

December: Argo

"So, you would've said they're the best guild option, regardless of what Leafa said." Kirito clenches his fists under the table in apprehension. He most likely thinks neither of the girls notice that, but the info broker and his sister know what he's doing.

"Yup!" Argo the Rat nods. She leans back in her chair and props her feet on the table. Every move she takes is calculated. "We need two things from the guild, competency and sympathy. Since Agil's guild is nothing but a bunch of merchants and the other guilds are assholes, that rules out the Clearer ones. There're a few nice guilds with a bunch of idiots, but we don't want that. That means Asuna has two choices, stay with you or convince them to let her in. Since she's a she, I don't think that'll be much of a problem."

Argo glances at Leafa. From the way she fiddles with her cup, she seems nervous, though that won't hurt her reputation. The room has only four occupants, three if the NPC doesn't count. Asuna works outside on her miniquest, so they discuss things here first.

Argo takes another sip of the drink. It's juice replica. Tangerine? _I'll have to remember this one. Someone will want tangerine juice eventually. Maybe it can be used in potion mixing too. _The inn didn't have many options for food and drink, though that doesn't surprise her. Even the wood looks cheaper here, as if the NPC owning the inn can't afford the relative luxuries found on the first floor.

"But." Kirito scratches his chin. "She's a level higher than their highest member. She'd be sorta OP compared to the rest."

Argo sighs. _I was hoping I could keep them in the dark for a few days more. Poor Kii-bou might feel like he should take the blame. _"They're the only guild clearing this floor."

Kirito stands and his chair crashes to the floor. _Immortal Object _hovers over the wooden seat. "What! There were dozens of us fighting the boss!"

"Kii-bou." Argo doesn't flinch, keeping perfect composure. She saw him become agitated like this in the beta. "Kibaou is dicking around on the first floor with his merry band of minions. Most of the clearers are in small groups of friends or soloing. There's a bunch of guilds too weak to survive on this floor. Agil and the merchants are selling stuff and making a boatload of money. Then, there's Klein. I think they're a little too weak, but at least they're doing something."

Argo rises and walks to a window. From that viewpoint, she can see Asuna chopping wood. The pile next to her rises to her waist. "I'd put Asuna among the top fifty players. Same with Klein…" _Asuna is thirty second, and Klein is fiftieth. _She smirks. Paired with the whiskers, the she knows it looks feline. "Thanks to a certain dashing rogue who helped him on day one." As expected, Kirito flinches. "So, the two of them could bring some needed competency to the front lines. I already know you aren't going to do shit until the boss raid occurs."

"Kirito?" Leafa tilts her head to the left. "Why can't we help too? I wanna see Mother soon. Don't you? I'm not afraid of the monsters here."

Argo turns away from the window and stares at the boy, waiting for a response. Kirito puts his hands in his pockets. Through gritted teeth, he mumbles, "It's not the monsters I'm afraid of. Kibaou wanted to hurt you." He clenches his fists. "I'm not going to face Mother without you."

"Ahem." Argo clears her with theatrical flair. _Well, this'll be easy to sell. _"Before Kirito continues to brood, I have an offer." Her brother crosses his arms and mumbles something under his breath. "Kii-bou wants to avoid other players. Leafa wants to help. Oh, and I want info." She chuckles and opens her menu. After a moment, a prewritten contract materializes in her hands. She wrote over a dozen different contracts, so she could quickly materialize the paper in her hands no matter which direction their discussion took. "I'd like some scouts, people who are ahead of the front lines to fight monsters and report anything of interest. It'd-"

Leafa nods. "Deal."

Her brother throws his arms up in the air. "Leafa, we can't!"

The girl plants her foot on the ground, finalizing her wishes like a judge sentencing a prisoner. "I'm not going to be some selfish idiot. If you want to keep us isolated, fine! This will let us do both."

Argo giggles. Judging from the sibling's reaction, maybe she sounded too nefarious. Oh well. "Just sign here!"

* * *

January: Asuna

Asuna unsheathes her rapier and looks back at her guildmates. They give her reassured nod. A hoard of low-level NPCs bustle ahead of them, like wolves swarming a kill. There must be over a hundred of them they could see, let alone the ones obscured by the foliage. With such high numbers, even these weaker monsters would prove dangerous.

The mobs appear to be some kind of lizard, like the kobolds from the first floor. Asuna's stomach twits from unpleasant memories… _Damn kobolds_. Kibaou remains a powerful force on the first floor, and she hasn't set foot there since that fateful day. Kirito and Leafa have yet to shake the Beater label, and that very fact infuriates her. Maybe it's just that these enemies are kobolds, but the swarm size is unprecedented. It doesn't seem right.

Asuna glances back at Klein specifically, looking for some measure of reassurance. Is attacking the right choice? The Guild leader simply smiles and crosses his arms. "I'll let you handle this one. Your call, fellow Samurai."

The girl shakes her head. The Fuurinkazan fight like no other guild and remind her of her older brother in more ways than she could count, but they act far too childish for their age. For instance, they insist on calling her a samurai even though she's the only one of the guild doesn't dress like one… or at least attempts to. As she opens her mouth to answer, she receives a different kind of reply. To their northwest, she hears a frightened cry for help, more like a terrified child than a warrior requesting reinforcements, yet the voice could only be that of a young man.

Asuna and the other members of the Fuurinkazan charge forward without any more prompting. Someone needs help, and even though they're the highest clearing Guild in Sao, they'll damn well help him.

They break through the mass of kobolds like a boat gliding over the water. Their goal isn't to kill their enemies for the EXP or loot. They need to reach a scared voice somewhere in this forested floor. The girl stabs one of her in the head as it moves too close for her comfort. She kills it in a single blow.

They've been on level seven for a few days already. Kirito and Leafa are ahead exploring the Labyrinth for the boss this floor. Klein being Klein, he suggested that they check on an area frequented by the players who neither help clear the game nor stay on the lower floors. These are the people who are in a state of limbo, too motivated to merely stay safe but not powerful enough to participate in the important raids. They also happen to be the group with the highest casualty rates which was why their guild leader thought coming here would offer a nice break.

To her left, Asuna hears metal on metal. She shouts, "This way!" The guild follows her lead, weaving through trees and crashing through brush. Ironically, stray limbs and unexpected thorns give them more damage than the kobolds. The scratches sting on Asuna's exposed flesh. Suddenly, the reach a clearing. _Not a second to spare._

Asuna had once seen seagulls swarm around a crust of bread. It was one of the few times her entire family went on vacation, the pristine beaches of Okinawa. It remains a pleasant memory, since the birds seemed ecstatic as they ferociously fought against each other for a larger piece. However, the site before her seems more befitting for a horror movie. It will probably haunt her nightmares, just one of dozens.

His health bar shows red. His eyes reveal an animalistic fear. His face has pailed almost to the same color as his hair. He swings his sword in desperation, trying to attack kobolds in every direction. They continue to stab him.

With a war cry befitting that's of a Valkyrie and swiftness of an Amazonian warrior, Asuna lunges into the frenzy. Using her high stats in speed, she stabs into the monsters. Klein and the others arrive seconds later, but already over ten kobolds have fallen to her blade. The samurai act as a barrier between the victim and the mob, forming a circle around the young man and his redheaded savior. She tosses him a healing potion and he gulps it down without question.

"You aren't poisoned, are you?" she asks.

The young man shakes his head. "It wore off." Deciding that any further conversation should occur after the battle, Asuna turns her Focus towards the kobolds. She darts to the gaps between the samurai, thrusting her sword inti any opponent who tries to slip through. If this was any other guild, they might have had a hard time, but this is the Fuurinkazan. They fight as one, and she believes in both their leader and their victory.

It takes no more than 15 minutes until they killed the last kobold. As Klein was slapping the shoulder of his nearest friend, Asuna kneels in front of the victim. His body shakes as he sits in the fetal position. Tears streamed down his face, for unlike the real-world emotions cannot be hidden in this virtual hell.

With so much of their time spent clearing the front lines, they don't get the opportunity to see the lower-leveled players. _Is this how so many died, alone and desperate? _"Hey." She keeps her voice soft and soothing. "You're safe now." He looks up at her and takes a slow breath. He tries to say something, but the words come out a jumbled mess. "It's okay. Take your time."

He whispers. "Attempted PK by environment." _He can't be serious. _The other members of the Fuurinkazan become silent at those words. Klein clenches his fists in anger. The young man raises his voice in anger and fear. "They tried to kill me! I try to explain it was different from the beta. I didn't know that they added a boss to the end of the labyrinth! I didn't."

He looks at them all, as if wanting them to nod in affirmation. The victim clenches his eyes shut. "One of them poisoned me with a drink. I… I knew they were pissed, but not that pissed. I was paralyzed, and they tied me up as others got the attention of kobold mobs out here. They cut my ropes and fled the moment the mobs showed. They knew I wouldn't last. Is… is it my fault that one of them died?! I didn't know!"

_Argo needs to know about this. NOW. _"We aren't going to hurt you. I have beta friends, and I know things can be different. We're the Fuurinkazan. Hear about us?" She smiles at him.

He looks at her for a moment before nodding. "You're the Crimson Fl-"

"Ah." She holds up her hand. "No need for nerd-generated titles. Call me Asuna, okay?"

"Thank you… Asuna." He meets the gaze of the men. "Thank you, all of you. You saved my life." He stands even as his legs wobble. Then, he bows. "I'm am forever in your debt! I will do whatever I can to repay it to all of you!"

"Well…" Klein scratches the back of his head. "Asuna did most of it. Make it up to her." _Damn. You. Klein. _

"I will do whatever I can to repay you, Asuna!" He still bows.

Her shoulders droop. _I now have a fanboy? A devotee? What do I even call this guy? _"We better get to a town. Other players need to know what happened… Also, I gave my name. What's yours?"

"Sorry." He ends the bow and gulps as his eyes meets hers. "I'm XaXa."

Meanwhile, two figures slink back into the forest. Both wear dark cloaks, fitting for their personalities. Their cursors are the only part of them not in black, instead a cheery green.

One sheathes his dagger, tipped with poison, with a huff. Under his hood is a sack he stole from a vendor, his first steal in the game. He cut out two eye holes and wears it as a trophy. "Boss, we could've saved him instead. He'd a been an easy recruit. A shitton of rage."

POH shakes his head. "Sometimes, it is better to have a weak enemy than a strong ally."

Johnny Black chuckles. "Planning ahead already?" POH doesn't respond. He walks away from the guild and the victimized beta. With Kibaou's hatred twisting the hearts of so many players, the man knows there won't be any shortage of players like XaXa any time soon.

* * *

Yui's Comments:

Sorry about the delay for posting this chapter, a short chapter for that matter. The author injured his hands at work twice during the release of this chapter and the previous one. He wrote most of Asuna's POV using speech-to-text on his phone since typing has been and still is painful.

This is also the chapter where major divergences start to happen. Kirito and Leafa don't join any guild, but they instead act as scouts. Kibaou stays on the first floor. Asuna joins the Fuurinkazan, and they are the top clearing guild at this time. XaXa doesn't join what will become The Black Coffin. (The author has his reason for the latter.)

If any of these changes to canon seem too out of place for simply being butterfly effects of Leafa's presence, I can offer explanations for any of them if you want. There will be one more chapter in this format that's in a POV other than Leafa's. Kirito will be one, and the other will be-

_Yui! Don't spoil it! None of them will guess who it is. _

I think the readers could, but I won't push the issue… yet.

_Oh, and there were a lot of comments about Orange cursors in general, so I'll address it here instead of breaking it up individually. It'll probably be easier to read then._

_First, red cursors and red guilds are a player-made term and not a game mechanic (in terms of avatar cursors). I know that much. There's just green and orange. NPCs have a bunch of colors though, including red._

_Second… I confused the canon of a fanfiction (Orange… It's a good read too) with canon. In Orange, a player with an orange cursor has five minutes before the guards attack. After trying to find definitive information of the time between an orange player entering a city and the guards being mobilized, I came up with nothing. I'll keep the five-minute idea unless someone knows the game mechanics work differently. I mean… I could also just have that conversation take place outside the city gates, but that'd take more effort and my hands are hurting._

_Oh, I hope I don't come across as a douche while trying to explain things. That's not my intention. _

SaintInfernalNeos, _Kirito… doesn't always have the best way with words. Before he started making friends, I saw his character as pretty straightforward and without tact. To him, he was just explaining game mechanics to his sister (which I'm guessing he witnessed in the beta) while it was actually quite a horrible thing to say to his sister. To be honest, I feel like I don't have Kirito's character down as well as I do with Leafa (and my off-beat Argo). _

_As for players filling up the second floor so quickly, I figured one of the Clearers (a beta who stayed silent during the whole debacle) activated the teleport gate about a dozen minutes after the trio entered the floor. I might have this wrong, but I think all a player has to do to activate a gate is to simply touch the one on that floor. If I'm wrong… sorry. _

Goodalwayswins98, _thank goodness. I was hoping my Argo was alright. She seems to be one of the most popular characters in SAO fanfiction, and she's fun as Hell to write. I have a few thoughts, but I'm open to any suggestions for Agro's nickname for Leafa. Also, as you can see, Leafa's presence has already shaken things up._

Guest, _Hi, N! Your comments on and the many comments off-site have been quite helpful! You might be the only fanfiction fan I've ever had who knew nothing about the canon material. Thanks!_

Flo463, _ah… I should've clarified this last chapter. The two players who were talking about the Beaters included a Clearer. That's why the information seemed to be spreading so fast. Yet another Kirito x Suguha supporter…. Hmmmm…._

Warorpeace, _oh my. Thanks for noticing those errors, especially with me mistyping a commenter's name. I fixed those errors._

Phoenixknight19, _ANOTHER Kirito x Sugu supporter? Interesting. _

Mlp701225, _if you ever spot any game-mechanic errors on my part, please point them out. Thanks!_

Worker72, _will Leafa become a Clearer leader? Well… I can say she won't be just a scout the entire time. That'd be boring. _

So, that's all everyone! Thank you for the amazing amount of reviews, follows, and favorite! I'll even tell you who's going to get that other POV next chapter. It's-

_DON'T!_

Si-

_NOOOOO!_

Fine.


	6. Chapter 6

February: Silica

Up until January, there was an orphanage on the first floor. Sword Art Online was rated Teen, but that never stopped children from playing those games before. The infamous information broker, Argo the Rat, later gave an estimation on the players younger than thirteen at the start of the game. Three hundred and twenty. Of those, the general consensus is about fifty died. Another sixty or so used to live in an orphanage on the first floor, run by the kindly Ms. Sasha.

Now, they live on the eighth floor in a house donated by the Fuurinkazan. Rumors were spreading that one of the children were a beta, so Sasha knew it was only a matter of time before the orphanage would no longer be safe for the children. Word spread slowly in the game, but there seemed to be more motivation for letting all know of her plight. "Save a bunch of orphans" does happen to be the most cliché of all good deeds after all. Thus, the orphans now live on a floor only two away from the front lines, but far safer than they would be in Kibaou's domain.

Well, fifty-nine of the sixty do.

With a dagger in her hand, a little girl marches out of the main city Freiven and into the wilderness. No one saw her, since no one is around. The Clearers and Clearer-wannabees fight on floor ten. Weaker players fight on the middle floors, except eight and one. Kibaou and his follows stay encamped on the first floor.

The girl doesn't know the information, but floor eight proved to have the least popular environment yet. First, it was a forest like floor seven. Second, it was full of monsters that gave little exp. In fact, floor seven had better numbers. Not one of the remaining seven thousand six hundred and ten were on floor eight to farm exp.

Well, all but one.

_I'm going to do this. I'm going to be just like that amazing scout, and she's young too! _If nothing else, the girl has determination, though it's a different kind than that found on the front lines. The Clearers are unwavering like valiant samurai. The girl is determined like a stubborn brat. She comes from a world where she'd get anything if she complained, whined, and stamped her foot on the ground. Oh, and gave puppy-dog eyes afterwards. It's how she got a kitten for her eleventh birthday. For her twelfth birthday, it's how she got her parents to promise that they'd buy Sword Art Online when it was released. It's why she'll get nothing her thirteenth birthday.

In Sword Art Online, stamping her foot on the ground only caused a clunking sound. Whining got her sent to bed early. Complaining caused the other children to give her dirty glares. She failed at making any friends even though she had so many at school. _They… they are my friends, right? I have a winning personality. _In the real world, almost every kid at school was nice to her. Even the teachers were extra nice. _And it has nothing to do with my mom being the school superintendent. _

She steps into the woods and Freiven becomes swallowed up by the lush undergrowth. The girl shivers. Even though she sneaked out of the orphanage many times before to level, she never became accustomed to being alone. It's a bad feeling.

"M-Monsters? C-Come out." She tightens her grip on the dagger, frustrated at her own voice betraying her. Not even that follows her commands. The youth takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly. _I can do this. I can do- _"Who's there!"

She points her dagger at a bush. The leaves rustled, so there could be a monster. Squinting, she waits for an attack… and waits… and waits. A warm breeze lofts by, rustling the leaves above. She lessens her hold on the dagger, and her knuckles lose their white hue from her grip. _It must have been the-_

"Ah!" She scrambles to push that thing off her head. Completely forgetting the dagger discarded on the ground, she takes hold of its two paws and tosses it off. The monster floats to the earth, fluttering its wings. The girl takes hold of her dagger. The small, blue dragon eyes her with… hunger! _It wants to eat me!_

The dragon makes a sound. Chirping? Purring? It tilts it head to the left, like a bird bopping its head. "I… I'm going to fight you, scary monster! You landed on my head!" Her stomach rolls, and she gets the sudden desire to bathe. "You landed on my head! Ew!" Did it implant germs or eggs on her? _Ewww!_

Instead of fighting, the dragon scampers into the bush. "No, you don't!" She charges after it, ignoring the foliage cutting her clothes and becoming lodged in her hair. "You can't dirty my head without revenge!" She catches the blue tail of the creature darting into a small cave. Without thinking, she sprints after it.

Without a light source, she wouldn't be able to follow, but the creature seems to glow. She uses its blue light to follow even though she stubs her toes several times. Whenever it seems to get too far away, it slows and looks behind itself at her. She can almost hear it chuckling. _Now, it's being a meanie! _

She can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The creature will have to stop running eventually. Then, she'll get it and make it pay! It'll show everyone that she can handle anything! _Um, why is the light blue?_

She steps into a cavern. Every wall is well lit, not because of natural sunlight or torches. All is illuminated by dozens of dragons. Sitting before her is the dragon that she chased. The girl turns around, intending to flee, but already over ten more glided down and blocked the exit.

Her arms tremble. Her eyes water. She drops her dagger, and it clangs on the rock. _I'm going to die! _The child falls onto her knees and waits to be killed.

Something wet touches her hand. Looking up, she sees the same dragon she chased nuzzling her hand with its damp nose. On reflex, she pets its head like she would her cat Pina. It purrs. Wiping the tears away from her eyes, the understanding that she might live fills her with joy. The girl opens her inventory and pulls out her favorite food. Maybe the monster was just… hungry? For… a snack?

"Do you want a peanut?" She holds out the legume to the little creature. The others around her watch without interference. The dragon sniffs the snack for a moment. Then, it outstretches a long red tongue and takes it from her hand. She hears the shell crack inside its mouth.

She takes out another peanut from her inventory. "Were you just hungry?" The creature eats that one as well. "I never heard about a friendly monster." The dragon nuzzles her hand for more, so she obliges. "I guess you and your friends are an exception. I wonder why."

The dragon takes flight. She stumbles back and gasps. She gasps again when it lands on her head for the second time that day. Before she could throw it off, it licks her forehead. She giggles. "That tickles!"

An in-game notification pops in front of her. _**Accept Feathered Little Dragon as a Tamed Monster? Y/N**_

"A tamed monster?" The creature makes a happy gurgling sound. "I never heard of that before." She smiles and taps the affirmative. She sees a new item in her inventory, Feathered Little Dragon.

"Can I name you? I guess I will. I have a kitty cat at home, and we were friends. Since you wanted to be my friend, I'll give you the same name! Pina. You are now my Pina. Oh! And I'm Silica!"

Silica hears a growl. Turning around, she sees the dozen dragons who blocked her exit staring down the tunnel. She sees the flicker of a torch down the tunnel. At once, all the dragons dart towards the fire, except Pina. She merely whimpers.

"Pina, is something wrong?"

The dragon doesn't answer her, but the shattering does. With every death, NPC and player alike, death comes with a sound like breaking glass. Over ten occurred in the last three seconds.

"This is the last of 'em!" It's a voice, younger and male. "These mofos better drop two more damned feathers, or we wasted this day for nothing!" The girl puts her hand on Pina and backs farther into the cave. _They're killing them._

Of course the NPCs are being killed. This is Sword Art Online. Players need to kill monsters, but… but… "Pina," she whispers. "I'll protect you." In response, the dragon glows brighter for a second. Then, she sees her slightly depleted health bar rise to full. _Pina can heal? _

"Done!" A new voice, one distinctly feminine, comes from the tunnel. "I got one feather. Anyone else?" About four other voices reply, each in the negative. "Well shit, let's see if there's any stragglers back there. I don't feel like searching this entire forest for these things." She hears footsteps, and the fire grows brighter. Soon, they'll reach her.

The first, male voice grunts. "Maybe we shoulda left this nest open for a day to let more of 'em in. I'd think goin' to the front 'ave been better. Some mofo got with the samurais and organized some big push."

"I'm surprised you can use the word _organized_," says the woman. "And, they're trying for two floors in a week. That 'mofo' is some badass named Heathcliff, and he has a bunch of other badasses with him. I think- Oh?"

The five players and the girl see each other at the same time. The five don't appear anything out of the ordinary. In fact, there's nothing remarkable about them at all. Average weapons, looks, age… everything. But, they just killed all of Pina's friends. The girl points her dagger at them.

The woman tilts her head. "Teenie bopper, any reason you got a dragon on your head?"

Through clenched teeth, she growls, "Get out."

"Sure, just let us take that monster out of your hair…" She pauses to chuckle. "Pun not intended, and we'll be on our-"

"Get out!" she shouts. "If you want Pina, you'll have to tear through me first!"

"Batshit?" asks the talkative male.

The woman nods. "Yeah, and she's green. No way we're fighting her. Let's go, boys. Let the crazy be crazy." With a wave of her hand, the group leaves while grumbling under the breath.

The girl sheathes her dagger and strokes the side of her new friend… her only friend. He whimpers, so she whispers, "I'm so sorry, Pina. You're alone too, aren't you?"

* * *

March: Kirito

Kirito closes the door behind him and creeps down the hallway. If this was the real world, he'd never leave his sleeping sister alone like this, but they're stuck in a game. A lock cannot be picked, at least ones with sleeping players on the other side. While Kirito has more than enough fury at Kayaba to kill the man, he won't complain about some of the functions in the game. If it protects his sister, he likes those.

He exits the inn and takes a glance at the seventeenth floor's labyrinth. After spending two days in there, he won't complain about having a warm bed for a change. Thanks to both of their maxed Tracking skills, the increasingly infamous scouting duo found the boss door. At this point, they might as well be known as the Door Finders. _No. _He shakes his head. _That name sucks more than our normal nicknames. I'll take Beater over Door Finder any day._

Even the Beater label has become less potent. With every floor they reach, it's another barrier between them and the first floor. Of the thousand or so players who fight on the top floors, none of them seem to hate him or Leafa… Especially Leafa. "Greensleeves" has proven to be quite the popular person, alongside "Red Samurai" and "Red Flash". He chuckles. Even though Argo was weird, the nicknames she spread seemed to do a lot for morale, so whatever. If people like Leafa, she'll be safer.

Kirito enters the labyrinth. _Time for some more grinding. _He charges at the first monster he sees and kill it without much trouble. Even though EXP doesn't do that much for him, killing these raises his sword skill anyway.

He spends hours doing nothing but killing monsters. For the past few months, he operated on four hours of sleep per night. It can be hard, but it also bolsters his chances of protecting Sugu. If he's the most powerful player in the game, no one could break through him to get to her. His sword will be her shield. She will see her mother again.

He grunts as the monster bites down on his arm. He stabs it through its face, killing it immediately. While he could've avoided that blow, he needed it. His health trickles up little by little as he charges towards the next… armadillo… thingy. Leafa insisted on calling them armadillos to show how she paid more attention in school. To appease her, he went along instead of calling them Dire Glyptodon. _Focus._

Tonight, his goal is simple. He needs to take damage and stay in continuous battles. His Battle Healing skill remains too low for his preferences. Unlike most other games, this one has only one way to increase skills. Grinding. Lots of grinding. If only Kaybaya decided to use modern video games' methods of level. As his health goes into the yellow from one of the armadillo's spiked clubs on their tails, Kirito curses the game's creator for the inconvenience. Still, he's glad no one is here to see this. The Black Swordsman has a reputation for being an aloof but unstoppable fighter, and he wants to keep that image. People would be less likely to attack Sugu.

"Kii-bou!" _What the hell._

After a second of surprise, he tears through the few remaining monsters as if it's nothing… It is nothing. A level twenty-four player on the seventeenth floor is overpowered after all. He sheaths his blade and turns to just about the last person he'd expect to see alone in the labyrinth. Despite her outgoing personality, Argo never was much of an unnecessary risk taker. Heck, she's the highest leveled player to never participate in a boss raid.

"How much of that did you see?" he groans.

The girl in question leans against the stone wall. With her hood over her head and the flickering torches, she could almost be mistaken as a dark specter… Well, until she opens her mouth. She puts her hands on her hips. "What are you doing out here so late at night, young man?"

_And now she's screwing with me. _"Argo." He glances down the corridor but doesn't spot any NPCs. "I'm leveling my Battle Healing. What are you doing out here?"

"Work." The girl shrugs. "Klein caught wind of a funny little rumor. Apparently, some of the Clearers have been sneaking out at night and fighting in the labyrinth of whatever floor we happen to be on. Since the man is one of… three people who are good at seeing the big picture, he hired me to get all your asses outa here. I caught up with all the others, so that leaves you my last stop for the night." She wags her pointer finger dotingly and strides towards the boy. "No more nighttime leveling from now on." _Is she purposefully acting all "angry mom" for some reason? _She stops in front of the boy and flicks his forehead. Then, she giggles. _Whatever._

"You think that's gonna stop me?" He rubs his head, somehow being more bothered by that than having his arm bit by a giant monster moments ago.

"Nope, but I know what will!" The girl crosses her arms and stares at Kirito. He can faintly see her chestnut eyes, very intense and very serious eyes. "Leafa will be crushed if you die." With that, she turns around and scampers back into the darkness. While the information broker never shared her skills or exact level with anyone, he's almost certain she has Sprint and Hiding. No one could disappear into the shadows that fast.

Kirito rubs the back of his head. _Damn it. _He grimaces. _She's right._ As much as he doesn't like to admit it, he and Leafa are child soldiers. His little sister only has one thing that connects back to the real world, and that thing is him. Knowing Sugu, she'd probably blame herself too… He imagines her trying to explain things to her mom.

Kirito rushes back to the town. It takes almost half an hour, but he managed to avoid any more fighting. _Maybe I should add the Sprint skill next. _The streets seem oddly busy tonight. On most occasions, he'd see one or two people. Now, there must be over two dozen. _Could it be… _He stops next to a face he recognizes, but the person in question doesn't see him. He seems to be staring at the other side of the street.

"Hey, were you grinding tonight?"

The young man jumps back a step before locking eyes on Kirito. XaXa sighs in relief and lets out a nervous laugh. "Gods, you scared me. I thought you were one of my guildies."

Kirito scratches his head. "Why's that a bad thing?"

The nearly grey-haired Clearer looks at the ground. "Because I don't want them to know about this. It'd look bad on the Fuurinkazan is one of them was among the troublemakers… but, I just wanted to get better. I'm still their weakest member."

"Um, why not just go back inside?"

"Tried. I came back outside when I saw Harry One walking around eating a sandwich for some reason. He normally eats it a few hours from now, but the boss battle tomorrow must be giving him more jitters than normal."

"I'd offer my place, but we have only two beds. Try Asuna maybe? She has her own room."

XaXa's face reddens a few hues short of the redhead's hair. "You seriously just suggest that?" _Why's he so flustered? It's not like… Oh. Boy and girl in the same room is weird. Sugu and I are the only exception to that rule. _"Plus, Asuna is the last person I'd want to know about this. You know how disciplined and strict she is. I'd rather solo a boss than face her wrath."

"Kirito?" Both teens freeze. _You gotta be kidding me. _

"A-Asuna!" XaXa gives a forced smile as his hands tremble. "W-Wonderful weather tonight, right?" _And Sugu says I'm bad with girls. He makes Klein look good. _"I… Uh." He glances at Kirito. "We were just out taking a walk. Enjoying the weather. Wonderful weather tonight, right?"

The redhead scratches the back of her head. "Yeah… We were too, right Leafa?" _Leafa!_

From his left, his sister walks over. She seems just as surprised as they are to see one another out here. The girl nods. "Yep, I was just… enjoying the wonderful weather." _You were out there soloing too!? And Asuna as well? What the hell._

The four teens stare for a minute without saying a word. None are willing to walk away, but Kirito can't think of what he could talk about.

Asuna sighs. "I heard that some of the other players were visited by Argo. Klein and Heathcliff found out about so many players soloing at night for the exp and skills. It's a good thing none of us are foolhardy enough to do that."

The other three give guarded agreement.

The girl continues, "Though, no one mentioned partying up for some midnight grinding, and there's four of us." Kirito perks up. Leafa smiles. XaXa finally relaxes. "Anyone here up for some grinding?"

* * *

Yui's Comments:

For the next chapter, we'll be back to the main story. Before the plotline picks back up again, there needed to be some groundwork for how the changes have affected things. Klein had far fewer deaths with him as sort of the "head" Clearer, but their progress was slower than in canon. Heathcliff's arrival, however, helped boost the speed of floor clearing significantly.

Silica. There's a reason why the character had such a long section to setup her character (along with giving details on how the players are faring under the highest floor). If memory comes to serve, she was one of the youngest players to be active anywhere near the higher levels. Everyone else was mostly fourteen or above, so even though some people view her as "the loli character", there's more to her than simply being the small, cute one.

The Moonlit Black Cats. Yep, they're next. _Yui! You totally spoiled the next chapter! _Um… I'm pretty sure everyone who watched or read Sword Art Online knew that. Ah… How about replying to the comments now? _Sure!_

Game Lord the Hitman, _yep, XaXa has been put on a significantly different path. I decided to continue this story through the Phantom Bullet Arc and needed to make this change for that to happen. _

SaintInfernalNeos, _instead of recovering, I ended up screwing my left hand even more. Hurray. _

_I did like XaXa as a villain as well. Probably my favorite villain in fact, but the more I planned the story, the more I realized I had to make some changed early on. Otherwise, the later parts of the story would seem forced, as in I'd be doing them because they happened in canon instead of it happening more naturally. It'll make sense… eventually… I hope. If not, I screwed up for no reason._

_It looks like I mis-explained one thing. The trio were the first to enter floor two. Several minutes later, another (beta) Clearer decided to open the gate to floor two and thus entered the second floor. That floor would've opened when Asuna and Leafa would've finished purchasing supplies. I hope I explained that better this time._

Goodalwayswins98, _essentially, there's two "main" Clearer guilds. One is Heathcliff and his Knights of the Blood Oath, but they are sorta hindered by the lack of Asuna. The other is the Fuurinkazan who are more powerful due to Asuna's (and XaXa's) presence and the fact that the small group was the first guild to make headway after the first floor. As for Yuna and Eiji, I'm not sure on whether or not they'd fit into the story. If not, just remind me about them, and I'd tell you since I have their fates planned anyway._

Flo463, _I always like hearing people's ideas on shipping. (Oh, and everyone, feel free to give others if you like as well. Even if I don't follow them, I really enjoy seeing these opinions.) I person even suggested pairing Kirito with a door. I'm not sure why actually, and I didn't want to know either._

War or Peace, _thanks for pointing out those errors. Fixed! My hands aren't back to "normal" still (especially my left one), but whatever. _

Worker72, _you're right, but I had guilds form anyway. Having a hundred or two words describing how guilds hadn't formed yet but sorta have unofficially seemed to out of place for the chapter. As you can see from this chapter, Kirito won't be able to free himself from Argo's network. Meanwhile, Kibaou has done no good considering his actions caused the orphans flee in fear of their safety this chapter. The suicide rate is still low. At this point in the story, player deaths are lower than canon._

Can I tell them who'll die next chapter? Knowing the news beforehand could soften the blow.

_What are you talking about, Yui? _

I'm talking about what you have planned for the Moonl-

_Alright, I get it now… NO._

Please?

_No._


	7. Chapter 7

Guilt, Part 1

June 22nd, 2023

Leafa runs faster and longer than almost any human can manage. Choosing the Sprint skill has come in handy, but that is the last thing on her mind. Some of the NPCs don't even give chase to her. The girl was nothing but a blur to them, an anomaly that didn't trigger their attack programming. With one eye on a map and another eye on the labyrinth's corridors, it's a miracle that she hasn't stumbled yet. It's only more extraordinary considering her eyes are a downpour of tears.

In the back of her mind, she clings to the hope that other players will reach them, but that is just folly. Klein gave everyone the day off before the boss raid, so this floor's labyrinth should be all but empty. That means she'll be easily ten minutes ahead of anyone else. Kirito might die. Today, she might become an only child, a lonely child. Something in her gut says Kirito must've already seen some of the others die. She prays to any god or spirit who's willing to hear her. _Let them live. Let me see Kirito one more time._

April 8th, 2023

Leafa was having dinner with Asuna and Argo. They didn't intend for things to turn out this way, but they just happened. Sugu could say the same thing about her real-life friends, not to say the two girls with her aren't real friends. They truly are. Kirito says it has something due to her personality. "I'm a loner," he said. "I do best alone or a couple of people at most. You're a people person."

It started out as business meetings with Argo. Since she and Kirito are the two main scouts for every floor's main labyrinth, they find the most information. Since Leafa prefers face-to-face conversations over those annoying blurby messages, Argo suggested giving the information in exchange for a meal and a payment. In hindsight, Argo probably did that to somehow save some cor. Kirito wouldn't come. She's all but convinced he has some boyish fear about the dirty blonde. Well… he could just be that obsessed with grinding almost nonstop too…

Anyway, their dinners became a thing. Asuna caught wind of it and asked to join. They should've invited her beforehand because that poor girl is in a guild full of well-meaning but single guys. The normally serious redhead leapt for joy when they agreed. Sugu never really had a girl's night out in the real world, and she can't wait to tell her mother all about these. Despite the constant risk of death, the young teen managed to have fun moments in her life.

They were eating different items from this floor's finest restaurant. Well, Argo claimed this one is the best. This floor also happened to have a beach theme which translated to the food. Like she normally does, Asuna ordered the cheapest thing on the menu, baked fish. Argo bought roasted chicken, the only item that every restaurant sells and the only item the information broker eats. Leafa ordered something called Mahi Mahi because of the silly name, and it turned out to be a delicious fish.

"So Leafa," Argo said while in the middle of a bite, "you keeping Kii-bou in line?" The dirty blonde licked a few of her fingers off. Leafa gave a look at confusion in reply. Weren't they talking about the mob placements for the highest parts of the labyrinth just moments ago? Seeing her confusion, The Rat clarified, "He's a pureblood workaholic. If anyone could find a way to somehow die in this game through mental exhaustion, I'd bet my kidney that he'd be the one."

Leafa blushed. "Well, I threatened to tie him to the bed all night long if he didn't take a bath."

Asuna covered her mouth to hide a smirk. "So, did he listen?"

"Yeah, my brother did." She rubbed her forehead. "I know there's no smell mechanic for not washing, but it's the principle, you know? It's only natural to bathe, drink, and eat. I…" Her shoulders deflated. "I hope you don't think I was abrasive."

"Nah." Argo waived her hand and the hunk of chicken clenched between her fingers through the air. "You're the only person who can make the Black Swordsman to do anything but solo shit. I trust your judgement as much as I trust his combat abilities. Same for you As-" Mid-sentence, Argo dropped her chicken on the plate and opened her messages. "Speak of the devil. Kii-bou wants to know a ton about some guild. Their name sounds familiar." The information broker took a small leather book out of her inventory and flipped through the pages.

"Who?" Asuna tried to look over Argo's shoulder to see her notes. "I know most of the guilds up here. I think Klein and Heathcliff want me to take on more responsibility, so I've been learning a lot about the Clearer organization."

"Why?" asked Leafa. "Not to be mean, but you're about half Heathcliff's age and could pass as Klein's kid sister."

"I'm inspirational or something." She rubs her eyes. "To be frank, I think hundreds of eternally single dudes will try anything to impress me. It gets sorta weird when it's some twenty-something."

"Got 'em!" Argo's sudden interjection startled Leafa. She almost pushed her drink over. "The Moonlit Black Cats. They're some guild of real-life friends who recently made it to us Clearers, and their leader has more charisma than management abilities." She types a reply to Kirito with surprising speed, a result stemming from constant practice. "I wonder why he wants to about them of all people."

A few minutes later, Argo receives the answer to that question. "Huh." For the first time in their friendship, Leafa sees the other girl genuinely surprised. "Kii-bou agreed to help them out when he has the time."

_I don't know if I like the sound of that._

* * *

April 20, 2023

"Is Kirito out helping the Cats again?" XaXa sat on one of the benches in the training ground. Leafa meanwhile continued to beat the tar out of some training dummy Klein bought. "It's pretty obvious, even to me."

The girl sheathed her sword. "Pathetic, right?" She monopolized Kirito's time for about half a year already, but she became frustrated if he helps some players out for a few hours? It's not fair on her part.

He nodded. "Yep, and remind me to never piss you off. You're flat-out scary right now." His shoulders deflated. "At least you can work with him. I'm the 'other guy' of the Fuurinkazan. Asuna saved my life five times already, and I'm still counting."

She plopped herself down on the grassy ground, feeling muggy from this floor's high humidity. "I saved his butt seven times; he saved mine eight times. Spend enough time around her, and you'll save your pretty princess."

"It's not like that!" Thanks to Klein, several of the highest clearers knew how to get a flustered response from the older teen. "I…" He clenched his fists. "I just wanna repay Asuna for everything she's done for me, but no matter how hard I try, she's always a few steps ahead of me. All I can do is trace her footsteps."

"Ah." Nodding, she wondered if their experiences are similar. Kirito was probably the better of the pair, and now he chose to help another guild improve. Is she merely feeling left behind? "I think I understand that feeling."

"If I could save her life once, I'd feel like my time here wasn't worthless. The only reason I'm even in the Clearers is because of other people. I don't want to be a cup that's always filled up and never poured out."

Leafa cracked a smile, remembering an odd tangent Argo did the other day. The information broker was frustrated how a certain skill wasn't being used enough during boss raids. "There might be a way even if you're a worse fighter."

His eyes lit up. "Really? Tell me! Um… please."

"You ever hear of a skill named First Aid?"

* * *

May 4th, 2023

"Thank you for the demonstration, Leafa." Around her, seven other players lied on the ground exhausted. She glanced at her health and smiles, not a single hit point taken. Heathcliff remained stoic as he watched her sheathe her sword. "Maybe this will convince more players to take the Parry skill. I suspect you could tank if necessary."

She shook her head. "I'd have to increase my strength stats first. I wouldn't be able to take much against higher mobs or bosses." She looked back at the seven players. Two of the men looked embarrassed by losing to her. Despite her reputation as a top player, she was still just a little teenage girl who kicked ass with ease.

"Before you go, would you mind if I had a word with you?" He remained expressionless, as always. His bright red armor stood in contrast to his reserved personality. With his long hair, Leafa would be willing to bet he decided to role play as a serious paladin. Argo mentioned many players don't act like they do in the real world.

She shook her head. "Nope, still don't wanna join your guild. No offence, but working as a… sub… Um…"

"Subcontractor would probably be the term."

She smiled in thanks. "Yes, working as Argo's subcontractor still gets us a lot of money and freedom."

"I agree, which is why that was not my intended point of discussion."

"Oh." She bit her lower lip. "Alright. Over lunch?" If he was going to take her time, she'll get a free meal out of him. He nodded. "Great!"

They walked to the mess hall. Two weeks ago, a few merchants decided to set up a traveling mess tent for players. Argo said the business was booming and sulked about how she wasn't the one to come up with that plan. Instead, it was Agil, the man who stood up for them on the first floor.

Her plan succeeded, so Heathcliff bought her a simple sandwich… Perhaps too much of her info broker friend had rubbed off on her. They sat down on opposite sides of the table.

"You feel jealous." It was a statement, not a question. He looked at her waiting for a response.

Her cheeks reddened. "N-No! What are you talking about? I'm fine. Kirito and I do lots of scouting together, and-" _I'm frustrated that he's gone so much, but I'm not JEALOUS._

"You have become more irritable and less considerate of others recently. It arose in direct relation to the amount of time your brother spent with the Moonlit Black Cats. For example, you're conversing with me in order to have a free lunch, not because you desire this interaction."

She clenched her fists. "I'm not that petty."

"Your brother is wholly devoted to you, so he must be taking this course of action for your benefit. Even if you can't foresee the outcome now, it will become apparent someday." He stood. "You may eat my sandwich as well. If you ever desire an unbiased ear to vent your frustrations, I shall strive to be available."

She crossed her arms. "I'm fine." As he walked away, she continued to grumble. "It's normal for him to want other friends. Keita seems nice, and Tetsuo is pretty selfless. Ducker is among the better treasure hunters while Sasamaru isn't one of those cocky damage dealers…" A waitress placed the two sandwiches on her table. The girl looked young, probably one of the orphanage children trying to make some extra cor. "And Sachi is…" She shoved a sandwich in her mouth instead of finishing her sentence.

* * *

June 22nd, 2023

"Your brother is a really brave person." Sachi folds her hands in her lap and stares at the ground. Leafa just glares at the labyrinth, waiting for Kirito and Sachi's guild members to show up. Of all the people, why must _she _be the only other one here. "And, he's really kind. He must be an amazing brother." The high schooler blushes as she talks about The Black Swordsman. Somehow, Kirito hasn't noticed the girl's feelings, or he at least hasn't mentioned them to Leafa. Though, they haven't been talking as much. Even their scouting missions have been without conversation.

Leafa, however, is all too aware of Sachi's feelings. "He's fine." This is the second time this week he asked the Moonlit Black Cats to do a scouting run with him. The first time, Leafa used an excuse about having a headache to not go. Her brother fell for it for some odd reason. Now, she doesn't have any excuse.

"He's so considerate. I was really scared once. Terrified. He helped me overcome those fears and even stayed the night with me." The soft-spoken girl wasn't bragging or even being malicious. She seems to idolize her brother; however, that doesn't cause Leafa's blood to boil any less. He never did tell her what he did that night.

Leafa stands, forcing a calm outward demeanor. "I think I'll solo today."

"Why? D-Did I say something wrong?" She bows her head. "I'm sorry if I did. I… I want to be your friend and hope-"

"Don't worry." She smiles, a fake one. "I just realized I've been slacking on my Parry skill. I'll just be standing around and parrying monsters all day, and that won't work in a group. Take care of Kirito, okay?"

The girl stands and does an even deeper bow. "Yes! Thank you for trusting me. I promise I'll do my best… even though he's so much stronger than me. You're such a nice person, Leafa."

"Yeah…" With that, she sprints off into the labyrinth and far away from anywhere Kirito and his party might go. _I'll go with them next time. I… just need to sort out a few things first. _She doesn't parry a single blow. Her attacks are vicious, aggressive. The girl takes risks no solo player should take, but she does so regardless. She's frustrated at Kirito's new friends. She's frustrated at Kirito. Most of all, she's frustrated at herself. _Why am I being so petty? I'm with my friends without him. He hangs with Argo, Klein, and or XaXa. That doesn't bother me. Why am I being such a bitch?_

As she slices into a monster, she hears a ping. After finishing off her enemies, she reads the message. She sprints a second later. While running, she pulls up a map, finds Kirito's position using her Searching skill, and types a hasty message to Argo. "HELP KIRITO."

_Please be alright, Kirito!_

His message was a single word. _HELP._

* * *

Leafa arrives at the room. It has white panels on the walls and floor, and only three objects stand out from the abstract trap. It clearly was a trap room. In the middle of the floor lies an opened chest, top gaping wide as if it laughs and mocks the two survivors. One survivor stares blankly ahead, not moving and hardly breathing. Kirito is on the floor on his hands and knees. He sobs.

She was too late.

Leafa runs to her brother's side and holds his face to her shoulder. She can't do anything else. The others are dead. _If I was here… _Her tears fall onto his black hair.

"I tried to warn them," he whispers. "They went in, so I followed. They couldn't teleport out. Ducker was the first to die. Then, Tetsuo. Sasamaru didn't last long after that."

She squeezes tighter, refusing to let him go. _If I was closer, could I have saved them? _"Damn it!" he screams. He breaks from her embrace and throws his sword across the room. "I would've survived that blow! I could've taken it, and three of us would be alive." He falls on his knees and hides his face in his hands. "W-Why?" His voice trembles. "Why did Sachi step in front of the blow?" _Because I told her to protect you._

"Because she trusted you!" Keita's voice bleeds with rage. "We all did. You said you'd protect us. You said we could all be scouts together. You said that'd be safer for everyone. You convinced us to become scouts, and now they're all dead! You killed my friends!"

Leafa unsheathes her sword. "Take that back!" She takes a step towards the former leader of a dead guild. "Kirito didn't kill anyone! I ki-" She feels a firm grip on her wrist. Looking down, she sees her brother's teary eyes.

"Sugu." He used her real name. "It's my fault. I wanted them to become scouts like us. Then, we wouldn't be as alone. Don't yell at Keita."

_No! It's my fault! My pettiness killed them! _She can't put her thoughts to words. Instead, she slumps down next to her brother. They don't move as Keita marches by, refusing to look at either of them.

It was a girl named Yuna who reached them first. She found two siblings holding onto each other for dear life, tears falling like raindrops. Both children were thinking the same thing. _I killed four people._

* * *

Keita marches to the floor's major city. He could use a teleport crystal but doing that would seem disrespectful of his fallen friends. His mind alternates between depression and rage, but he knows one thing for sure. He's going to the first floor and tell Kibaou everything. That man has been warning others of Kirito's danger and ruthlessness ever since the first floor. He should've seen it sooner. Now, Kirito got his guild, his friends, and the girl he loves killed. He'll face justice.

A duel request appears in his vision.

"Choose total death or I'll fucking kill you in your sleep." He never heard anyone with so much hatred in their voice. He knows without a doubt that the threat is real. The boy looks around and realizes the two of them are alone in this forest path. How long was his challenger following him, waiting for the perfect time to fight him? "I know what you're going to do. Relations between the first floor and the Clearers are already bad enough. You being a whiny bitch will get many people killed, especially you. I'll ensure that."

"Y-You're really the s-same person?" He turns around and realizes this is the same person. Eyes blaze with fury. The mouth twists into a feral scowl. The hand rests on a dagger he never saw before.

"Yep, now accept the gods' damned duel, you short-sighted piece of hypocritical shit. The two of them are still crying on the floor. That's a helluva lot more emotion than what you're showing."

Keita eyes his opponent. He was among the better Clearers at this point while his opponent seems blinded by rage. Plus, he's certain the challenger isn't nearly as good of a fighter as him. His hand hovers over the _total death _option.

"Death by duel is a clean death, Keita. The game won't penalize you. The Monument of Life will merely say you died in a duel after I kill you."

With those words, he decides his fate. He doesn't want to kill anybody, but he doesn't want to die. The Clearers are crazy and willing to risk or even take others' lives. Everyone must know that. Keita selects the total death duel.

A shearing pain runs up his arm. His heart freezes in terror as he sees a glowing stump where his right hand used to be. He holds his arm and screams in terror. Another burning jolt enters his stomach. A dagger's handle sticks out like a parasite.

His opponent charges and clears the distance between them before he could react. The boy gets pushed to the ground, and another dagger stabs through his remaining hand, making him helpless.

"Now." His killed unsheathes another hidden dagger. "Let's see how painful this can be." The blade traces along the side of his cheek up towards his left eye. "Losing an eye won't give you much damage, but I think it'll hurt." The psycho seems to be enjoying the moment. Instead of his eye, the blade slowly sinks into his chest. He still screams like a dying animal.

"Too bad you aren't thinking rationally." He closes his eyes but feels his killer's breath tickling his nose. "What happened was an unfortunate accident. We're living in a death game. We're all risking our lives, but Ducker took too big of a risk. He should've known better; you should've too, but you didn't do anything to stop him. Oh, and what did you say to the man who saved your life?" The dagger sinks deeper into his chest. His health flashes red. "You called him a killer, and now you're trying to start a civil war? Who's the bad guy here?"

A strong hand covers his mouth. "Now shut up a little. I'm getting a headache. Anyway, will you be able to sleep well knowing your hatred caused hundreds to die? They will. I think children are going to be the heaviest casualties. Kibaou would start by taking the orphanage hostage. He'd make an unreasonable demand, and the Clearers would try to liberate the children. We'd win, but at least half the kids would die in the fighting. Kibaou would then spin the story, make it seem like the Clearers were the killers and use that to gain more support. He's a master at manipulation and charisma for simpletons. With so much hate on each side, neither would give up until the other is dead."

The dagger pulls out of his chest. His muffled cries aren't heard by any savior. "No matter which side doesn't die, Kaybaya would win as he watches us kill each other like ants in his little game."

His health trickles down from his wounds, descending closer to zero with every passing second. "Oh, and you know something else?" His assaulter's boot comes down on his chest. "The contracts in this game are binding. They can't be broke, so let's make a deal. I won't kill you, and you get to be my double agent."

His survival instinct overcomes everything else in his mind. Keita nods. A moment later, something gets shoved down his throat, and a bitter liquid pours down. It numbs the pain; nonetheless, he shrieks when one dagger is pulled from his hand while the other gets ripped out from his stomach.

"Sign the fucking contract." A piece of paper gets shoved in his face. "You should be glad I'm not like Jonny Black. He made two friends sign contracts that made them fight to the death. He then killed the winner. That's how I learned how binding these things are." A pen materializes in front of him. With his non-dominant hand, he scribbles his name onto the document.

"Great!" The hatred, the malice. Gone. The voice that just spoke to him could only be subscribed as excited and cheery. "I can't wait to work with you! We're going to save so many more lives. I don't want any more tragedies to happen, okay?"

Keita stands. His health no longer drops, but he'd die from one more stab. He can't answer his new boss, mind racing and trying to understand his new situation.

"Here you go!" Two potions are handed to him. "One's for health restoration. The other helps regenerate lost limbs faster." He takes the healing one and eyes it with suspicion, trying not to show his terror and bewilderment. "Oh, and the duel is timing out now, so you're safe." On cue, the duel ends. He didn't know they had a time limit.

He takes a deep breath. "Were… you actually going to kill me if I refused?"

The duel's winner flashes a toothy smile. "Without hesitation."

Keita collapses to his knees and covers his face. He sobs terrified of his future, depressed that all his friends died, and confused if he was the villain or the victim.

He feels a soft hand on his shoulder and holds his breath, afraid of what might come next.

"It's going to be alright." The voice sounds soft, soothing. "Wanna hug?"

Giving up, he nods. It turned out to be a tender hug.

* * *

Yui's comments:

I'm so sorry that Sachi died. She was a really nice girl, but her personality didn't fit the front lines. Of course, she could've grown like Asuka and become a top-tiered Clearer. Still, she would be a wonderful support player like Argo, Agil, or Lisbeth; however, she never would leave her friends no matter how much it cost her. In case you were wondering, her interactions with Kirito lined up with canon for the most part, so they weren't covered. Plus, Leafa never ended up being around the spear-wielding girl much.

Part of the reason this chapter took so long to write was a giant internal debate on what Sachi's fate should be. The more divisive choice won in the end.

Also, yes… We know this chapter probably disappointed or frustrated a few readers as a result. _And I apologize for that, but I thought it would be a disservice to Sachi to have her live and then not do much with the character henceforth. _

For what happened in this chapter, here's the basic rundown.  
Kirito decided to help the Moonlit Black Cats because he thought they'd make a great addition to the scouting groups. Leafa would be safer if there were more quality scouts at the front lines.  
Leafa got jealous of her brother spending more and more time with a group of people she didn't know. She only recently turned fourteen anyway. She constantly tries to keep up with Kirito and worries that he might drift away from her.  
Ducker springs a trap where teleportation crystals don't work. Things are less one sided than canon due to the Cats being good enough to be Clearers, but they're overwhelmed anyway. Sachi sacrifices herself to protect Kirito, though she would've done so regardless of Leafa's request.  
Keita decides to join Kibaou, but an assailant stops him and "coerces" him into service.

Oh, the assailant isn't an OC. The author is trying to avoid those.

_Thanks, Yui. Onto the comments._

SaintInfernalNeos, _I… seem to have forgot what time period I was writing that section. After checking the numbers, I think I wrote it using the time-frame of Silica just before she met Kirito. I have no clue why I made that mistake. Thanks for pointing that out. I think I fixed that problem now. _

_Also, I'm not sure what Sachi's age actually is. SAO never released her birthday, but I've seen a few places claim (without a source) she's a high school. I place her at 14-15 at the time we see her, still two years above Silica._

_I agree that Silica's initially out of her league with just being mid-tiered. I also agree she's probably brattier than canon. There's a reason. _

_Hmm… It looks like XaXa will be a challenge for me. I like challenges!  
Also… Hairy… oops._

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark (chapters 1-3), _I'm glad to see you're excited. I've mostly figured out my pairings for the characters at this point, but what'll be the fun in spoiling that? Ha ha. Plus, I'm always open to a convincing argument. As for the fight, I partly limited it to one POV for the challenge. Fight scenes aren't my strong suit, so giving myself one perspective to work with would (hopefully) help my achieve better results through the trial.  
As you can see, it sometimes results in different or odd takes on fights, the one-sided bashing of Keita being one such example. _

Worker72, _yep. The Clearers a lot more benevolent to the lower players this time around. As a result, there's always at least a thousand players on the top floor, and it's thanks to Klein. He always seemed to be a guy who could see the big picture, and it makes a lot of sense to help other players reach the top floor. Plus, he had a guild that was part of the Clearers that never took a casualty. I figured he'd take the same approach as one of the two "leaders" of the Clearers._

So, that's all! The next chapter will be about how… You aren't going to interrupt me?

_I named this chapter, "Guilt, Part 1". They all know the next chapter will be "Guilt, Part 2"._

So, saying how Kirito and Leafa work through their guilt isn't a spoiler?

_Nope._

Meanie… Um… Oh! Someone else is going to die next chapter!

_That's a spoiler. Ug, I shouldn't have helped you with that._

We also soared by 100 follows. Thank you everybody!

_I mean it. It looks like Favorites will pass 100 soon as well. I'm amazed and overjoyed about how well this story has been received so far. Thank you._


	8. Chapter 8

I am back (after being gone for too long)! There's an explanation in Yui's comments and a Bonus scene after that. Anyway, here's The Wonder of Devotion!

* * *

Guilt, Part 2

Christmas Eve has arrived, a day of relaxation and of romance. The Clearers almost all remain on the highest floor, not to toil but to enjoy it. The expanse holds an assortment of flowering plants that would make even the most pristine botanical gardens of the real world pale by comparison. Starstruck lovers and calm players alike take in the rainbow of colors, the sweet aromas, and the peaceful breeze.

Argo the Rat wraps her cloak tighter around her body, cursing whoever decided to make temperatures feel so real. Even her breath turns into tiny puffs of smoke. Befitting the holiday, a few snowflakes fall from the heavens and onto this floor's trees, buildings, and ground. She is alone. No more than a dozen players would be on this floor. Who'd want to spend a holiday freezing their asses off in solitude?

"Hey." Kii-bou's voice cut through the silence like a songbird calling out in the night. No mate would reply. "You didn't have to do this." He sits on the park bench beside her, and somehow she feels a little less cold. If this was real life, dark circles would ornament the underside of his eyes. Of everyone in Sword Art Online, she knows only one person who slept less than an averaged three hours a night for the past six months. It's self-destructive, and she hates seeing him this way. Yet… she can't stop him. Forcing him off the frontlines would only worsen his condition. Even Klein sees that.

Argo clenches her fists. "You're right. I didn't have to. There's no economic benefit from keeping a massive event boss with the most important item to date not only hidden but suppressed from the public. There's no reason I'd do all of this for free. There's no point to do this for the boy who hasn't so much as messaged me for months, let alone stop by to say hello or… I don't know… Take a god damned break."

He doesn't even flinch. "Why'd you send me the message then?"

This event wasn't like the normal floors or quests players face on a day-to-day basis. To just know about it, someone must kill two drunk apes within a few seconds of midnight. How some random player stumbled across that confuses Argo to this day, but she paid him a profane amount of Cor to keep silent. Once she secured its secrecy, she messaged Kii-bou. He actually responded this time, not passing along any information along through Leafa.

"Because friends do nice shit for each other." She crosses her arms. "And forgive me for being presumptuous, but I considered myself your friend before you discarded me."

"I didn't…" He looks at the floor. "You have the coordinates?"

"Of course I do. I'm an information broker, not some pansy Clearer whose immediate response to hardship is to distance himself for everyone in his life." She opens her item's window and selects a map. It falls into his hands. "That's the spot where you'll find Nicholas the Renegade." She points to a spot with an _X_ marked on it. "This's where you'll start at from the teleportation." She points to a spot that would take thirty-two minutes for a player at Kii-bou's speed to traverse from. She spent a day ensuring she has that number down perfectly. "Everywhere else has traps or monsters that'd slow even you down. I promise I'm giving you the fastest way." _I always wondered if I'd ever have to tell a customer a lie._

He nods and leaves the way he came. Argo watches his back fade away into the shadows of the night. He pauses mid-step without turning around. "Thanks." He teleports away. Argo checks the time, calculating the exact moment he'll reach Nicholas.

The girl taps her foot on the stone pavement and sends messages out to informants and players alike to pass the time. She hopes Sword Art Online will keep records of small details like total messages sent. She'd bet everything she had that the name _Argo _sits mightily as number one message sender.

Another set of footsteps approach. She checks the time, noting that this conversation must take ten minutes and forty seconds for optimal results.

"Hey." If Kii-Bou's voice was a songbird, Leafa's is a cold gust of wind. She used to be among the most chipper Clearers, always willing to help others and share in the fun. Seeing her downward spiral into… this… scares Argo more than any monster or player killer in Aincrad.

Leafa evolved into a walking corpse, a distant shadow of the person she used to be. She seems to stare into the far distance, searching for something that can't be reached. Her movements are sluggish and clumsy unless they step onto the battlefield. Then, the girl becomes a raging berserker, throwing herself at enemies without any regard for her own safety. She doesn't talk to Asuna anymore. She keeps contact with Argo to a once a week meeting, just discussing business. The only person she talks to on any consistent and personal basis is Heathcliff. From the picture he paints, Leafa slid into depression months ago.

Kirito hasn't noticed, too clouded by his own despair. The four members of the Moonlit Black Cats weren't they only casualties on that day.

Argo wants to smile, but she can't in the face of her friend… former friend. "You're a little early."

"Sorry. Just wanted to get this done." She slumps into the bench. Already, her head nods. Only Leafa slept less than Kii-bou. "Thanks for telling me about this. You didn't have to do this." _His words exactly. _

"You didn't want to bring your brother along? Together, you shouldn't have much trouble." _An early suggestion to create a preferable outcome. _

She shakes her head. "No, this is something I have to do myself."

Argo reaches out to put her hand on the girl's shoulder, but Leafa scoots away. "You don't have to. This isn't your responsibility." She doesn't reply. "Leafa, how's your brother doing?"

"I…" She looks at the black, starless night above them. "We met two days ago, so I could deliver both of our scouting reports to you. He seemed… fine." The siblings initially still worked together. Maybe it was an argument. Maybe it was an invisible wedge that drove itself between them. Either way, they soloed more and more often until October. Then, that's all they did. Klein's heartened please did nothing. Heathcliff temporarily banishing the pair from the front lines was in vain. They soloed anyway. The Black Swordsman might as well be The Black Ghost at this point.

Argo opens her inventory, using the moment to check the time. She must stall longer… "Leafa, what are you going to do with this item?" After a minute of silence, she adds on, "This'll be your payment. Tell me, and you'll get the location."

Her companion swallows. "I'm… I want to revive Sachi."

"Why?" No response. "Leafa, Sachi is dead. Her brain fried six months ago."

The depressed girl stands and snarls. "I won't accept that! Maybe I can save her!"

Argo doesn't flinch. She keeps her body from showing any response to Leafa's outburst. "Look at yourself." _Sorry for saying this, but you must here what I'm about to say. _"Pathetic. You're utterly, undeniably pathetic. How can you be so selfish?"

"I'm not being selfish!" She cries. "I was selfish! I got Sachi, Tetsuo, Ducker, and Sasamaru killed! If I can't save them all, I want to save Sachi. I don't care if she thanks me or runs my heart through with her spear. I just want to apologize." She wraps her arms around her chest. "I want to tell her I'm sorry."

Argo laughs. It's a fake laugh, but she knows how to make it sound realistic enough. "See? Selfish. You're trying to revive someone just to give yourself some closure? Let the dead stay dead and the living continue to live. Right now, you're in some kinda grey zone between the two, and I don't like it."

"It…" Her voice comes out in a whisper. "It's my fault she died." _Time to slap some sense into her. _

"Your brother is about to kill himself."

One moment, Leafa stood crying. Almost instantaneously, she has a crushing grip on Argo's shoulders with a gaze that would make even the bravest of men falter. When she speaks, he words come out deliberate and powerful. "Where. Is. He?"

_Time's up. _"Here." She hands Leafa the map. "He's about to solo Nicholas. Do it together. I dropped him off thirty minutes out so you could-" She stops when Leafa stumbles back and falls to her knees.

"Argo…" She trembles. "He unlocked a new part of Sprint last week. Long Distance. He's already there."

_I'm so stupid._

* * *

In all standard video games, a group needs three types of players to win a boss fight. First, there's the damage dealer. Those are the players that whittle down the boss' HP until the monster has been destroyed. Leafa firmly believes that Kirito is the best damage dealer of all time, even though her opinion couldn't be more biased.

Second, tanks act as living shields. To keep the heat off the other players, tanks take the brunt of the enemy's attacks. If someone lets the tanks do their job, the fight will almost always be won after enough time. If someone wants to become the utter hero of the fight and disregard the tanks' protection, they often die. For example, Diabel remains one of the few SAO players to die in such a meaningless way. In many ways, Leafa can perform tank duty despite her overall character build. She can parry which, as described by XaXa of all people, means "She's a tiny girl with a massive sword which acts as a shield for the most badass little sister ever." While embarrassing, her ability to do limited tanking provided Kirito enough time to kill their enemy countless times.

Lastly, support units… support. They aren't very common in SAO compared to other video games. At least, that's what Argo told her. Most other games have character with much better healing abilities. XaXa and his First Aid are by far the closest thing the players have to someone devoted to healing. Instead, support mostly comes from friendly players who chuck a healing potion at a hurt ally or players like Argo. She supports through two methods, information and buffs. The information is self-explanatory, but buffs interest Leafa to no end. The broker and her claws have attacks which weaken the stats of the boss. Does he have too much armor? A support character could take a swipe and reduce that effect by five percent. Do the players need a little boost in HP regeneration? Argo does something… Leafa never figured out exactly how the secretive teen could do it… and HP regeneration increased twofold.

Nevertheless, if a player has a high enough level compared to the boss, none of this matters. Anyone could solo a boss after they pass about twenty levels from their target. Kirito and a few other of the most elite players could do it if they're five levels ahead.

What does this mean? This means her brother needing her is the only reason Leafa isn't falling on the floor and bursting into tears. While there is a seven-level difference between Nicholas the Renegade and Kirito, Nicolas is the one with a higher level. Does that make Kirito suicidal? Yes. Does that make Leafa suicidal for wanting to do that same thing? Of course. Does that mean her best friend and hero could be dead or at the very least dying because she spent that last few months blaming herself for Sachi's death? Absolutely, and the little girl hates herself all the more for that.

However, she knows now is not the time for pity parties. Kirito needs her; he needs a tank. Kirito needs Argo; he needs a support. Right now, they barrel through the hidden warp gate or whatever the hell this game named these things. Leafa couldn't care less about the semantics. On the other side, Kirito must be fighting for his life. Leafa and Argo are here to make sure he keeps it.

Tackling a boss without scouting first is one of the most dangerous things to do in Sword Art Online, second only to fighting another player to the death. Off the top of her head, Leafa remembers seven players who died due to a little impatience. Since the Kirigaya are amongst the most bullheaded personalities in the game, that didn't stop either from making that plunge. Why Argo joined Leafa doesn't add up to the girl, but she won't complain. She can ask her… her friend later… A true friend.

Seeing the situation before the rescuing duo, Leafa decided that she somehow managed to find a situation more dangerous than fighting a player to the death. First, Nicholas the Renegade had only a fraction of his final health bar left. While that meant they could defeat him soon, the boss also has unlocked his final attack patterns. While always a surprise, Leafa became adept at predicting their general attacks by basing it off how the bosses acted beforehand. Now, she doesn't have that luxury. Second, Kirito has ten health points left.

Ten.

For comparison, if she attacked Kirito with a snowball, he'd lose a hundred health points. In other words, anything less the absolute, undeniable perfection happens from now until they kill Nicholas, Kirito will die.

Leafa activates her parry skill and charges at the boss. He seems like some perverted version of Santa. Perhaps if Santa was an undead goblin with arms that dragged on the ground, she would see a strong resemblance, but the ax-wielding maniac in front of her seems to be much more murderous than merry.

Nicholas lets out a laugh more befitting a pedophiliac clown than a kindly gift-giver and swings his ax down at Leafa. The ax looks longer than the girl and weighs at least twice her weight. After adding the downward momentum to the ax, it would take a miracle for her to successfully parry the blow. By instinct, the girl shifts her stance so that the ax's trajectory no longer aims for her head. Players learned the hard way that one-hit deaths can happen if an attack happens to be powerful enough. For example, a giant ax burying itself through a girl's skull. That would kill her.

Leafa's arms buckle the moment the ax hits her sword. The force of impact would break bones and compress her spine if it happened in the real world, but this is virtual reality. That doesn't stop all the pain though. She feels it all.

She also feels the ax continuing down past her sword, as if nothing was even stopping it. Then, she feels a hot, biting sensation. Every nerve on her right shoulder simultaneously sends their strongest signals possible, the body's way of saying something harmful just happened to her body and to discourage that from happening again. However, Leafa doesn't need to pain to know what happened. Instead, she sees the ax cut into her should then through her shoulder. Her right arm falls to the ground before bursting into pixelated light. For some reason, she doesn't scream.

The thirteen-year-old stares at the stump that used to have an arm attached to it.

Everything then seems to slow down. Her body must be pouring whatever possible to increase her ability to fight and think. Thankfully, one of those abilities is the inability to feel pain, so her momentary explosion of agony has been replaced by concentrated bliss.

From the peripheral of her vision, Leafa sees Argo sprinting towards her. Judging from her terrified expression, the information broker decided to buy her some time by attacking Nicholas. It's too bad she won't make it in time. Nicholas's next attack will occur before Argo can make a difference. Plus, a support-type player will be slaughtered in the blink of an eye by a boss. That makes Kirito, Leafa, and Argo all excessively suicidal now.

Leafa realizes two things. First, neither Argo nor Kirito could survive against Nicholas in their present state. Argo doesn't have the right build while Kirito's health will take half a minute before health potions bring it up. Second, her two most precious friends in the world have only one thing standing between them and certain death, and that thing is her one-armed body.

"Sword breaker!" Kirito yells. He sprints a few paces behind Argo, also disregarding his life in favor of extending his little sister's; however, his words have done much more than he can do in his condition. Some weapons have buffs or designs that hinder other weapons. In this case, that damned ax breaks past swords, hence why she only has one arm. This means she has no defense against that ax. Considering she literally bleeds out her health points, if Nicholas hits her again, she's dead.

In a single jump, she pushes off the snowy ground, causing two poofs of snow to explode behind her. Nicholas's ax slices some of her hair as if plummets into the snow and earth behind her. She rolls on the ground and grabs her sword that was once clutched in her now nonexistent right hand. Using her forward momentum, she extends her left hand towards the night sky and leaps. She and the boss lock eyes for a fraction of a second, but it feels much longer than that. She swipes her sword and slices the neck of the boss. It connects.

Leafa crashes into the snow as Nicholas the Renegade gurgles. She lost her sense of balance since she's missing her god damned arm. She looks up and sees the boss's health bar trickle down its last vestiges of life. In just a moment, their ordeal shall end; however, there remains one problem. When things die in Sword Art Online, they burst into thousands of pixels. Instead, Nicholas had one health point left. Also, he hoisted his ax and brought it down towards her head.

She had no time to react as Kirito bellows, "Sugu!"

One of Argo's knives buried itself into the monster's forehead, killing it. That did nothing to abate the soul crunching horror that strangled Leafa. Her gaze glued onto her big brother. His eyes widen in shock and confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words left his lips. He looked down and saw the ax blade protruding from his stomach.

His arms outstretched, he shielded his baby sister from certain death. Then, he died.

Where Kirito once stood burst into a thousand tiny pixels, like snow fluttering through the breeze. _Brother? _He stood there, didn't he? He didn't just die. He's her big brother, and nothing could stop him. He didn't die because of her. He didn't die because she failed, right? She's not alone, not when they're together. He's alive.

_He's dead._

Leafa clutches her forehead with her remaining hand, as if to squeeze her very life out of her worthless soul. She becomes motionless on the snow, simply laying on her side. She doesn't breathe. She doesn't hear. She can't think. Every part of her mind focuses on his eyes, the last thing she saw before he died. There was no peace or look of satisfaction. He felt absolute terror in his last moments.

_My fault._

The girl takes a breath akin to a gasp after being punched in the stomach. After her lungs fill, she lets every once of air out with all her power. It came out a piercing, feral shriek. She does it again and again oblivious to the tears pouring down her cheeks. She feels pain that dwarfed the totality of her short life's pain, misery, and suffering. She feels only pain.

Slowly, she realizes someone holds her in an embrace. Their arms wrap themselves under her shoulders and pull the two close together. She blinks to give herself a moment of clarity from her eye's watery prison.

Messy black hair.

An intoxicating feeling mixes with her utter despair and pulls her back into reality. She recognizes the strong but gentle touch. She remembers the sound of that breathing. Even the smell is familiar to her nostrils.

"K… Kirito?"

He squeezes her closer. "I'm so sorry," he sobs. _Why is he crying? _She sees his face, and her brother cries with her. "Everything's fine now."

Leafa tries to touch his hair but realizes her arm has yet to regenerate. She settles for hugging him back. "Don't leave me again."

He presses his forehead against hers. "I promise."

"The… the rumors were true." Argo stands away from the duo and looks away, her face obscured by her hood. "The boss dropped a rare item, Divine Stone of Returning Soul. It, um, works apparently. One time use and only works within seven seconds of a p-players… death… And, uh, I'll give you two good deals and stuff for all the trouble I caused." She clenches her fists. "And I won't hold it against you if you hold this against me."

Leafe could see the snow under the girl. Two spots melt away from her tears. She couldn't hide her feelings.

"Argo." She says the words with a forceful determination.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Group hug, now."

* * *

Yui's comments:

There are a few things that need to be addressed here, first and foremost should be the long absence in updating. I'll let the author explain that one.

_Well, I need two things to write (besides fingers and a keyboard). First is a good mood, the second is energy. I pretty much haven't had either for the past two months. (Hell, I still don't, but I essentially muscled my way through writing this.) If I'm not in a good mood (sad, worried, angered, etc), my writing tone changes. I want to keep a sorta upbeat tone with this story. It's about a brother and sister's adventures after all; however, this was as light as I could manage with everything that's been happening to me. I'll just give a few things out of many._

_Grandpa had a stroke, my car broke down (AGAIN), and I lost over $12,000 due to the business I work at not making enough money to pay me (at all). And I'm poor, like… "I can't afford to fix my car and often worry about living under a roof" poor. _

_On the bright side, I got second job! That's also why I'm tired since 60 hour weeks isn't a cup of tea._

Stop complaining so much and write this story! Kirito and Leafa won't get outa SAO on their own!

_Sorry. _

Onto the second point, Kirito and Leafa still blame themselves for the Moonlit Black Cats' deaths, but they did get back together in the end. Why have them go lone wolf in the first place? Well, Kirito did that in canon, so I didn't see that as too much of a stretch. Leafa was more than willing to hide her feelings from Kirito in canon as well, so I feel like she'd think separating herself from Kirito because she's "such a horrible person now" is a good option.

Will their guilt come into play later in the story? Yeah, it will, but fixing all their problems now just seemed to cliché. Baby steps. Instead, the siblings are back together because KIRITO DYING would seem to do that. As much as they feel guilt, both realized that acting like canon Kirito won't help them.

As for the third point, why did Kirito seem to have a harder time than the canon? Blame Klein. The Clearers are still at a lower floor than they were in canon. Fewer player deaths for slower floor progression. Still, they're starting to catch up. The canon Clearers seemed to clear at a sprint, tons of floors early on but puttering out later as more and more of them died. Instead, Klein organized them as a marathon, slow and steady. The unfortunate consequence is that Kirito is lower level than canon because the higher floors (thus higher EXP) aren't open yet.

Okay, comment time!

Mr Miliardo_, I like your reasoning. This'll be a mystery that'll float around for a while (unless you're certain of figuring out the assailant beforehand). Last chapter certainly isn't the end of Kieta's new "boss". _

Bobtankerman, _I like my story too!_

SaintInfernalNeos, _you're immediate conclusion that the assailant was XaXa made me laugh. I'm saying you're right or wrong, but your total distrust of the character is quite entertaining. As for Kirito and Leafa being okay… they weren't, and they didn't really use each other either. Well, at least Kirito dying helped them out with that._

Warorpeace, _My hand is better! Yay! One good piece of information! Also, Argo or Silica as the assailant? Interesting…_

MoxieFoxia, _well, I don't think you'd like this chapter too much considering the state of the sibling's relationship… But fear not! The next chapter has fluff and stuff, not just because Silica is in it!_

Hey! I'm supposed to be the one who gives spoilers! You're a meanie!

_Sorry, Yui._

Flo463, _you and a few others have noted your desire in Leafa being the only one able to comfort Kirito. That will happen at some point(s), just not this chapter obviously._

YOU DID IT AGAIN!

…_.Oops…_

Worker72, _Hm, you think it's XaXa too. Interesting. As for your interest in the eventual confrontation between the Laughing Coffins and the Clearers, the-_

WIBN, I will not allow you to spoil probably the biggest plot point that's different from canon IN THIS ENTIRE SAO ARC that you've been setting up since the BEGINNING OF CHAPTER THREE AND ARGUABLY CHAPTER TWO.

_Isn't that a spoiler too?_

NO!

_Okay! Okay! Just don't hurt me._

GRAAAH!

…

I think I threw that punch too hard. Well, I guess that's all for now. Oh, sorry, Workey72. The author won't be able to finish the reply to your review. I think he's unconscious drooling on the floor right now, so… Um… Ha! I can't be stopped for giving spoilers. Well, Kirito won't save Silica after Pina dies, but Leafa-

_Okay, I'm awake. Tell the readers goodbye now, Yui._

Alright. Bye!

_I need an ice pack…_

* * *

Bonus scene:

Kirito looks down at his sister. She holds onto him with both arms, even in sleep. Her lips have the slightest upwards curve… a smile. She hasn't smiled recently, has she? How was he so blind? Leafa… Suguha… His little sister was hurting so much, and he didn't even notice. Then, he hurt her more. Argo brought him back to life and immediately threw him at Leafa. She was wailing on the ground. That moment in time before he touched her… She had no much despair. _I won't ever let her feel that way again._

Leafa let out a soft moan and almost melted into his side. He hadn't let go of him since he came back to life, and he knows why. She fears he'll eternally slip away from her if she stops holding him. Kirito looks at his left arm and how it wrapped around her torso. Pot meet kettle. He hasn't let go of her either.

He sighs and stares at the ceiling of some inn on this frozen floor. _We were really stupid. _He planted a kiss on Sugu's forehead, and she smiled wide in her sleep. He pulls the covers up to her shoulders and closes his eyes.

"I promise, Leafa," he whispers. "You're gonna smile so much more."

Kirito drifted off into the restful sleep.

For the first time in months, neither had nightmares that woke them up in terror. Instead, they shared a peaceful, blissful dream.

They just walked through the streets of Japan.

Together.


	9. Chapter 9

For the first time since Sword Art Online's inception, the player base spread itself across the lower floors. Floor fifty-five had just a couple dozen people consisting of guild leaders, major support characters like Argo and Agil, and the top fighters such as The Black Swordsman. Even Kibaou was invited to represent the first floor.

Why? Forty dead players.

No one released the details to the player base, but somehow forty players died in an unscheduled boss fight. Klein and Heathcliff banned anyone from leveling on the top floor then started a meeting. Rumors of all sorts swirled around the community, but Argo remains tight-lipped.

On the bright side, Silica has a lot more people to party with. She plays as one of the few who neither stay under Kibaou and the Aincrad Liberation Force on the first floor or clear the game with the Clearers. Though, that never bothered Silica. She became the most famous mid-leveler in the game. Being young and the only beast tamer in the game seemed to have helped in that regard. She often acted as a guide of sorts for the Clearer parties who ventured down for various reasons. She didn't build herself for soling anyway.

Two of her skills went to Pina, her tamed Feathered Little Dragon. As far as everyone else knows, she's the last of her species after other players killed all the Little Dragon nests. Her blood still boils at that memory. Anyway, two of her six skills went to Familiar Recovery and Familiar Communication. The other four went to One Handed Dagger, Acrobatics, Light Metal Equipment, and Sewing. Pina looks so cute in the jacket she made her even though she doesn't like wearing it, so she only does that one special occasions.

As a result, she built her avatar more for group work than soloing. Pina provides healing support while Silica can provide minor PDS and stat nerfs on the enemies. Groups are fun most of the time too, though this group annoys her to no end. More specifically, the bitchy woman could jump off a cliff for all she cares.

"Give me some healing crystals." Seriously, what the hell? No one asks for others' healing crystals, especially when that person has a lower level. Rosalia the Mega Bitch is a Clearer for crying out loud!

Silica crosses her arms and huffs, "You don't need any healing crystals." That's also true. The red-headed, spear-wielding woman has over three-quarters of her health. Plus, she hardly did jack squat for the entirety of their time in this field dungeon.

"Why do you even need those crystals? You're a child idol!" The woman chuckles in a way that irritates Silica even more. "You could go up to any male in the game and ask for a dozen healing crystals, and they'd give them to you in a heartbeat with that body." She points to the girl's chest.

Silica flushes, mostly out of embarrassment. Her avatar looks exactly like she did when she was twelve. She must be lot bigger now that she's thirteen, right? Maybe she'd even be able to look at Rosalia the Mega Bitch in the eye. "Fine! You want them? Take them!" She takes two healing crystals out of her inventory and drops them in the dirt. "I'm leaving!"

She takes herself out of this group and marches away, ignoring the pleas from the other members of the party. _I'm not some kid to be babied. There are other parties to join anyway… Maybe I'd even get to be with The Black Swordsman and Greensleeves! _

Of all the people stuck in Sword Art Online, those two must be the coolest. They find the door to the boss room almost every time, and they're almost always ahead of even the front lines. Those two are the only true scouts of the game, and they fought in every boss raid until the disastrous one. Maybe they'd even take down a boss together!

Unfortunately, they also are among the most mysterious players in the game. Most people agree that they know each other in real life, and they're probably bother and sister. _So cute! _And, the Black Swordsman has among the highest DPS output in the game while Greensleeves is the only player who can tank and deal serious damage at the same time. Oh, and she does it all without a shield! _Super cool! _There was even a time of four months where next to no information came out about them, but they've been in the news for the past two months. Even if the Black Swordsman has been mentioned as one of the people in the meeting, maybe Greensleeves will come down. She must be so beautiful! They must be college age to be that amazing, but Silica will do everything possible to be as cool and amazing as them.

But first, she must make it outa this field dungeon, the Forrest of Wandering. Though, she was never on this particular dungeon before, it won't take long to get out, right?

ZZZ

Silica uses her last healing crystal as she runs from the Drunk Apes. From the corner of her vision, she could see the monsters passing her to the left and right. Even as her nimble form weaved through the trees, they crashed through or swung over. She has no idea how to leave the forest, long since losing her way while fleeing. Drunk Apes have enough power to make them a challenge for an entire group to defeat, and four chase the girl. They've been chasing her for hours. The sunny day has turned to a dark night.

A fist comes out from the brush, and it connects with the girl. She crashes into a tree and watches her health move down to read. Pina fares no better. She flies next to her, giving her health whenever her cooldown finishes. _I'm going to die. _

Silica holds out her dagger and points it at the four advancing beasts. Their eyes glow red in the dark and their teeth glisten in the moonlight. Pina lands on her head and lets out a growl.

"Pina…" Throughout her life, Silica noticed friends often come and go, at least with her. One moment, they're besties while the next they're just friendly acquaintances. Animals were different. She had a fluffy little bird that lived in the tree outside her window. For as long as she could remember, the little creature greeted her every morning with song. She had a small cat named Pina a year before this game happened. The cat latched onto her. They were besties, just like her dragon Pina.

"Pina!" She opens her menu as the apes advance, not bothering to struggle in vain. They will kill her no matter what she does. She selects her treasured friend and drops her from the inventory. "Fly away, Pina! Live!"

Pina looks down at her from on top of her head and cocks its head to the right. She tries to put on a brave face to convince him everything will be alright, but her tears and quivering lip ruin the effect. _When I die, she won't now. She'll be safe._

A Drunk Ape saunters in front of her and roars. It raises its club and swings it at her. _Pina will be safe._

Pina leaps from her head and intercepts her blow with its body. She crashes on the ground with a sickening crunch as Silica watches helplessly as her health vanishes. When it hit zero, Pina looks at her trainer… her friend for a fleeting second. Then, she closes her eyes and explodes into countless glowing shards.

"Pina!" Silica wails her friend's name. She could've saved herself. Silica freed her the dragon, yet it chose to save her on its own volition.

The same Drunk Ape raises its club again. This time, its growl sounds more like laughter. Silica stares at the monster with empty eyes and accepts her fate.

All four die.

Silica, quivering in misery and loneliness, stays perfectly still and gazes at the patch of ground where the monsters once stood. _This must be a dream, a nightmare! This can't be happening._

"Hey." Silica jerks her head to the speaker. Striding towards her is a woman wearing a brown cloak and a bandana over her face. "You alright?" The voice sounds soft, like her mother when the girl scrapped her knee as a child.

"P-Pina…" She looks back at her friend's final resting spot. Only a white feather remains. She clutches it and presses it against her chest… close to her heart.

"Sorry I didn't get here sooner." The woman kneels next to her. "That feather was Pina, right? You're that beast tamer."

"She d-died to save me. I left my group and ran into Drunk Apes, and now…" She clenches her eyes shut in a vain attempt to stop her tears. "Pina's dead!"

She feels the woman gently place her hand on the girl's head. Then, she pulls Silica's head forward until it presses against her shoulder. "It's alright to cry for Pina," she whispers, so Silica cries. She sobs and wails, all the while being held by a total stranger. The woman says sweet nothings in her ear as if Silica was her crying baby. Silica lets out a final whimper before lifting her head up.

"Sorry for the t-trouble." She hasn't let go of the feather.

"Does that feather have an item's name?"

Silica checks. _Pina's Heart. _Her lips quiver again out of both happiness at having a memory and guilt over failing her familiar.

"We can save her."

Silica almost drops Pina's Heart. "What?!"

"I've heard of some way to revive familiars, and I know someone who'd know." She opens her personal message and types a quick message. "I promise you I'll get back Pina, okay?"

Silica nods, not able to find any words. _I can get Pina back? _She hears the ping of a PM. Her savior reads the message.

"Well Silica, it's on floor forty-seven on the southern side. At the top of the field dungeon Hill of Memories, there's a flower that'd revive a familiar." She glances at the moon. "How about we set out tomorrow, alright?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Tears continue to trickle down her eyes, but they're all from happiness. "Why are you going to save Pina?"

"Oh, I almost forgot. You can have some of my old equipment. You'll need to great gear to make up for your lower level." She opens her inventory and pulls out a dagger, boots, a belt, a blazer, and a full set of light armor. Silica's jaw drops open when she sees the stats on the equipment.

"This is better than the Clearers' gear! I can't take this!"

The woman waives her finger back and forth in jest. "Nah ah. This's the price of my help. You must accept and wear all of this."

Silica accepts and dons the gift. She notices her stats raise to the point where she could've defeated the Drunk Apes. She also knows the gift costs more Cor than she made during the past year in the game.

"The look suits you." The woman nods in approval.

"Um, I'd say the same, but all I really see is your cloak."

The woman laughs. "Oh, I forgot." She takes off the bandana and pushes back her cloak to give the girl a clearer view. "Ta-dah!"

The woman wears black trousers, a grey shirt, and black gloves. In fact, the only skin she shows is her head which has long, blonde hair. Heck, she seems to be wearing the same clothes the Black Swordsman reportedly wore last month. Then, a realization dawns on Silica.

"You're a girl!"

Her savior flushes in a red matching Silica's new clothes. "Oof. I'm wearing Kirito's old stuff, but I didn't think it made me look like a dude. Darn, that sucks."

"No no no no!" Silica shakes her head back and forth at a speed only achievable due to her acrobatics skill. "I thought you were a grown up! But, you… You're only about four years older than me!"

She smiles. "Silica, how old are you?"

"Foute-" The girl looks at the ground. "Um, no. I'm just thirteen."

Her savior chuckles. "Silica, I'm fourteen."

"You're so awesome!" She jumps up and down in excitement. "I had no idea someone as young as me could be like you!" She sends out a friend request without hesitation. "I'm Silica, and I wanna be your friend!"

The girl smiles and nods. "I'm Leafa, and I'd like to be your friend too."

"Leafa?" She tilts her head to the side. "That's a really pretty name."

ZZZ

Silica hears a nock on her room's door. She and Leafa retired to rooms on the floor's inn, but the girl couldn't sleep. They met Rosalia the Mega Bitch on the way there, and that woman mocked her for Pena's death. She even said the two will fail at reviving Pina when she told her how she'd save her familiar. Those words still hurt.

Silica dresses herself and answers the door. Leafa stands on the other side, wearing the cloak and bandana. She put them back on after they reached other players. Many players wear masks or change their hair in the game since it uses their actual faces. For example, Silica is sure Leafa doesn't have naturally blonde hair.

"Trouble sleeping because of that woman who mocked you?" Silica nods in reply. Leafa steps inside and closes the door behind her. "This is your first MMO, isn't it…"

"Y-Yeah…" She drags her foot on the floor in shame. She's still a newbie.

"Mind if I let you in on two secrets?" She nods in anticipation. "This is my first video game ever." Silica stares. _She's this amazing without playing a video game… ever? _"I'm only doing this good because I tagged along with an MMO veteran and am… was a kendo champ IRL. I ran around in the woods like a wild banshee for the first two months without knowing even the most basic game mechanics. The other secret is the Red Flash. She never played a video game either other than phone games."

"Wow! You got this good using just skills! Kibaou seems even more dumb with his Beater story. And… And you know the Red Flash! She's one of the top players! How good are you?"

"Um…" This time, Leafa drags her foot across the floor. "I'm a common site during boss raids, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. I mentioned an MMO veteran I play a lot with. He explained those assholes like that woman to me like this. People often are different online than they are IRL. You, me, the Red Flash… We're the same, but most MMO players create a different personality for their games. For all we know, that bitch could spend all her free time in real life helping orphans or puppies."

Leafa walks to the window. "I think this's one benefit you and I have over the veterans, Silica. We're us, not some other personality, and we know what we're in is real. Forty players just died, the biggest single disaster we've ever had in the game." She clenches her fists. "I don't care if someone is good in real life. Orange players are still murderers."

"Leafa?"

She turns around and smiles. "Sorry. Just don't let her words get you down, okay! We're getting Pina back tomorrow!" The blonde extends her fist to Silica for a fist bump.

"Yeah!" Their fists connect.

ZZZ

The two girls appeared at the center of Floria, the only city on the forty-seventh floor. Despite its reputation and being just a little to high-leveled for her to safely explore, Silica never set foot in the place until now. She regretted that decision immediately.

She gasped, unable to comprehend how such utter and unfathomable beauty could exists in such a horrible world. The sun shines in all its warm brilliance. A soft breeze rolls past her. The air carries the heavenly aroma of flowers. There are so many flowers. Blue, orange, red. If the color existed, so did a flower. The city has beds devoted entirely to blossoms. Instead of grass or dirt, petals covered the hills like a living blanket. Even the people carried bouquets or a single flower in their hair.

This is where she can revive Pina, as if the duo will march into heaven itself and snatch her soul from its embrace. For a moment, Silica felt guilt. Then, she glanced at Leafa's sword and realized they haven't reached heaven. This floor subsists as a mockery of paradise. Death still awaits outside the safety of the town, and the floor sits nearly in the middle of Aincrad. They haven't reached heaven. No, this is hell masquerading as heaven.

"You ready?" Leafa takes hold of her hand and squeezes it. Even though the woman… girl… wears that bandana, Silica could feel the smile anyway.

She nods. "Yeah. I…" She takes a deep breath. "Pina needs me to save her."

And absolutely nothing of note happened until they reached the highest hill in the Hill of Memories. Silica had no trouble fighting at all, and there was no plant monster that grabbed her. It did not lift her upside down to eat her, nor did her skirt follow gravity's design and cover her chest instead of her thighs. Her underwear certainly wasn't flashed for any to see which fortunately only included Leafa, and the blonde didn't have to save her. She also didn't suggest wearing pants to avoid such an awkward situation happen, not that it did. Leafa also didn't suggest taking her to some tailors who knew how to make clothes, including pants, of high durability that also looked super cute. _And they are much better than me in their tailoring skills. _

Silica wasn't embarrassed at all, and none of that happened. Alright, she'll admit to the shopping part. _Yeah, that'll be awesome. _Her parents had more than enough money for Silica to have shopping as a common hobby. Silica splurging with money consisted of buying Pina a few extra nuts. She already acquired enough Cor to actually afford to do such a… normal thing.

But now, something better than a day of shopping in the real world floated before her very eyes. Leafa mentioned how it only appeared under specific conditions. Specifically, beast tamers who recently lost their familiar. Since Silica remains the only beast tamer after all known Feathered Little Dragons were killed, this moment is the first and hopefully last occasion this flower shall ever exist.

Silica takes the Pneuma Flower. It's has seven petals of pure white and almost sparkled in the sun. She took it as if the flower has the same delicacy of a newborn.

"We should revive her when we get back. This place is still too high for your level, and I'd rather play it safe." _Why don't we use a crystal to teleport back? _It costs enough to hurt their finances, but it seems like a safer choice. On the other hand, it means they get to spend more time together.

"Alright!"

Coming out a dungeon presents less of a challenge in most cases. Maybe monsters don't spawn as frequently when a party travels away from the center, or perhaps the enemies they cut through haven't reappeared yet. Could it just be excitement making time move faster? Still, Silica understands how they're making it out without any trouble.

It scares her that Leafa seems so on edge.

The girl replies in shorter sentences. Her eyes move from tree to tree yet never lingers on the NPCs. Even when not fighting, her hand twitches as if she fights back a desire the unsheathe it.

Silica understands that she should ask what's the matter, but she doesn't. Too many thoughts jumble in her head. She pushes out ideas that Leafa wants to betray her and take the flower for herself. First, Leafa has no familiar. Silica would've heard about another beast tamer by now. Second, she gave Silica a nearly sinful amount of high-quality armor. Silica already made it apparent that she is willing to die for Pena, so she'd die before giving up Pina's Heart or the Pneuma Flower. By dying, all her armor would dissolve along with her.

Still, why would Leafa act so weary only after they retrieve the flower? While Silica hasn't been in life and death situations as often as the Clearers, she still faced it dozens of times. Often, she could feel something ominous before it happened. Right now, she doesn't feel that ominous presence. Instead, it seems to be strangling her alive.

Silica doesn't see any danger. No players are in sight. They just defeated a mob of monsters. All she can hear is running water and their footsteps pattering over the stone bridge. Ahead, only trees line their path.

She feels Leafa's hand on her shoulder. "Leafa?" she asks.

The swordswoman takes a step ahead front of Silica. _Like a human shield. _In a calm voice, Leafa orders, "Rosalia, come out." Silica hears the cold fury behind the words.

The bitch's laughter ends the peaceful tranquility. She steps out from behind a tree with her spear in hand. "Your detection skill must be-"

"Max level." The redead's eyes open in minor shock at the blunt truth. _Leafa is even more amazing. I didn't even know anyone had that! _"The other seven of the Titan's Hand can come out too." _Seven!_

"Whatever." Rosalia the mega bitch shrugs. "So much for a dramatic entrance." Seven others do step out, all but one have an orange curser overhead. _A Player Killer Guild! _All the players also happen to have gear that'd rank with the Clearers. In fact, they probably all are or were Clearers at some point. "It's no fun to play a villain without surprising a few people."

"Like the forty?" Leafa's hands shake in anger. "Forty-two went attacked the boss, but only forty names were marked off the Monument of Life. I tracked you, figured out you were part of a Red Guild. Your guild attacked them during the boss battle and slaughtered them all. Over half were children!"

"Oh? I hardly count fifteen as a child, though you seem to have the brains and body of one." She smirks. "You knew all of us wouldn't hesitate to take that Pneuma Flower, but you didn't bring backup? You may be a Clearer too, but I don't even know who you are. Just a pissed nobody who's going to die, along with the kiddy idol after she gives us what we want… after some fun."

_I feel disgusting._

The woman acts like a villain. The intention seems painfully clear to Silica. Like what Leafa said, Rosalia plays evil and enjoys it. Maybe this woman lived a pleasant and kind life outside the game, but here she intentionally chooses evil.

But, Leafa is good. In this moment, the hero would give some retort or reveal how the villains walked into a trap. However, Silica and Leafa understood that they aren't heroes. Lives hang in the balance, and the eight in front of them murder people. This is real.

Thus, the only person not surprised by Leafa's attack is Silica. The first Orange player merely screamed in terror as both of his hands fell to the ground. The second Orange player readied his sword by the time he was disarmed, literally. The third Orange players made his first attack before Leafa parried the blow and ripped the man's arm off… with just her left hand.

It is at this point that Silica realizes her traveling companion is far more powerful than she previously thought.

The remaining four, because Rosalia stood to the side and the one arm man did nothing but cry, attacked. Despite Leafa's initial success, a straight four-on-one battle between similarly ranked players can't be won by the one. The one can't switch. The one can't stop four simultaneous strikes. Silica knew this very well. The Laughing Coffin favored this method for killing Clearers. Even though Silica believed that Leafa must be among the top twenty players of the game, there's no way she could withstand three players attacking her, let along four.

Thus, her jaw hangs wide when Leafa parries and refuses to stop. Every blow. Every swipe. They all stop at the girl's blade. After twenty seconds of their assault, the four back off and pant. One seems to have trouble still holding his sword. Leafa breathed without haste and held her sword in front of her. Silica gasped, vaguely recognizing the stance not as one from Sword Art Online but from kendo.

Leafa sprung forward to the nearest player who had no chance to stop the attack. Sword went through synthetic flesh as the forth watched his severed leg dissolve into pixels. The fifth simply drops his spear, knells, and places his hands on his head. The sixth lunges with a rapier, but Leafa sidesteps with ease and swipes her sword across the murderer's face. Judging from the terrified shrieking about being blind, Silica concludes that he covers his face because he lost eyes until they regenerate. The seventh attacker stabs Leafa from behind, and she rolls to the side. Her cloak, however, disintegrates from being grazed. Leafa grabs the backstabber's hands and squeezes. Her hands glow, indicating the legendary Martial Arts skills. A sickening crunch and a girlish scream erupt from the final attacker before he passes out from the pain.

Silica smiles, fully aware of that only the elite few carry the skill. They said that its power wasn't something they wanted the player base, especially the Murder Guilds, to know. Kibaou claimed it was Beaters being evil. After seeing Leafa's display, Silica reaffirms her belief in the former.

"Greensleeves," Rosalia croons. "You're Greensleeves." Leafa's eyes open in surprise while Silica's open in amazement. _Greensleeves!_ "You dyed your hair blonde, wore your brother's clothing, and put on a bandanna just to chop off our arms? Pathetic."

Leafa takes out a Corridor Crystal from her inventory. She clears her throat. "This will take you to our prison. Come peacefully."

Rosalia laughs, her mocking and haughty laugh. "Take them!" She waves her hand dismissfully. "Since I never attacked another player, I'm still green. That means-"

In the blink of an eye, Leafa stands in front of Rosalia. She pushes the sword forward until the final few centimeters disappear into her stomach. The woman gurgles from the pain.

"You talk too much." She activates the Corridor Crystal, and a gate opens to an awaiting group of players, shackles ready to be used. Leafa tosses the guild members in besides two. The one who surrendered enters on his own volition. Rosalia grasps onto Leafa's shoulders. With desperation in her eyes and a sword still lodged in her stomach, she pleads, "How?"

Leafa twists the sword as she pulls it out of the woman's flesh. With the orange player marker hanging over her head, a passerby would assume Leafa is the player killer, not the other way around. "Simple." She sheathes her sword. "We figured I'd be the only one wouldn't murder you, and I knew I could do it." She pushed Rosalia through and the gate closed.

"Leafa?" Silica gulps and takes a step forward. Her mind tries to reconcile two people, Leafa who helped her revive Pina selflessly and Greensleeves who brutally destroyed a guild with extreme prejudice.

"Sorry." Leafa looks at the ground and takes off her bandana. "I needed to get that entire guild in one place, but I did… do want to help you."

Silica clenches her fists, steeling her resolve. "C-Can we still go shopping? With Pina too?"

Leafa looks up, not bothering to hide the tears in her eyes. She smiles. "Thank you."

_And that's how I got a big sister._

ZZZ

Yui's comments:

There were a few more scenes the writer wanted to add, but they didn't seem to fit. Instead, he ended it here. The other scenes will be put on later. If there is any confusion for what Leafa was doing, then we'll be sure to clear that up if you voice it in the comments or PMs. I can say the meeting with all (except Leafa) of the big-name players was a "real" meeting where they genuinely tried coming up with ways to protect players from Murder Guilds. They also had Leafa operating to find the killers during the false sense of security.

As much as this fanfic focuses on Leafa and Kirito's dynamics during their time in SAO, the story will also branch out to give both characters moments away from their prospective sibling. Leafa shouldn't be defined by Kirito, and Kirito shouldn't be defined by Leafa. In this instance, Leafa gets to act as the older sibling instead of being the little sister.

There isn't much more to say about this chapter. Hopefully, you found it different enough from the canon where it's interesting, but original enough to be entertaining.

Also, there's a reason Leafa's swordsmanship suddenly being different (more arm slicing and such). From what happened in the story already, you have a good chance to figure out why. If not, it'll be cleared up soon enough.

Lastly, Silica didn't connect Leafa to Greensleeves thanks to Argo. The Rat has kept the identities of her two scouts somewhat clouded. Plus, the duo spend most of their time scouting labyrinths, not much time for player interaction besides the most proficient players.

Now, onto the-

_Wait. I had a mistake in my replies that I want to address now. To _SaintInfernalNeos _I meant to say "I'm not saying you're right or wrong" instead of "I'm saying you're right or wrong". Sorry. Hopefully, all y'all don't think that made me sound mean or anything like that. My intention, at least, is to always be civil to all who are generous enough to leave a review. I also don't reread my comments nearly as close as I reread the story to check for errors and such. I probably should be more proactive._

Okay, now we can do the comments.

SaintInfernalNeos, _I'm glad the chapter worked for you. It took a lot of effort to find the proper balancing act. I knew Kirito and Leafa were in a dark place, but at the same time I didn't want it to just be a depressing chapter. So, I went with a hopeful ending to the chapter. It's also a reason why Kirito wasn't in this chapter. I needed to give myself a break with their interactions. Plus, there wasn't much for me to do with them for the moment. While the idea of Kirito and Leafa helping Silica out was quite appealing, I didn't want one of them playing third wheel in the chapter._

_Xaxa actually happens to be one of the characters I like writing the most for this story even though I haven't used him much so far. (The others are Argo and of course Leafa. I feel like I'm missing something with Kirito while Asuna hasn't had a chance to shine.)_

_I'm extremely interested to see how you view this chapter, especially with having Leafa save Silica instead of her brother (and using Yui's spoilers to sorta misdirect what the readers were expecting). _

Warorpeace, _things will get better… eventually. Even though a pit bull tried to heal me since posting the last chapter, my arm healed though besides some itchy scars. So, I can add "ripped pit bull off arm and kept it on the ground until its owners arrived" on my list of things that I never want to do but did anyway. At least it makes good stories to tell people._

Guest, _thanks for sharing your opinion! I won't spoil pairing or a lack of them, but if anyone does get together, I'll do my best it fits the characters and isn't for a stupid reason. (I find it annoying when the best explanation for a character pairing is "the writer wants them together" regardless of my feeling to that pairing.)_

Quality over Quantity, _Argo is very fun to write, and I want to give her character justice by making her meaningful to the plot. Same with Xaxa. I didn't incorporate both so much for the heck of it… No spoilers, Yui._

No fair.

_Anyway, the next chapter still has a few technical aspects I'm not sure about. Do I split it in two? Should I have a few scenes I have planned in there? Heck, I only deduced the two who'll be the "protags" of that arc a few days ago. Before then, I had about five different routs outlined depending on who and how many I wanted to use. It was pretty important anyway, giving momentum to the canon Kirito and Asuna pairing while also introducing the three mains from the Laughing Coffin._

**_EDIT: This does not mean that the best chapter will be Kirisuna. I was just refering to how this part of the story really pushed Kurisuna. I apologize for any confusion or irritation I caused._**

Hopefully, the next chapter will be out in two weeks. Thus, be sure to follow to know immediately!

_^Shameless advertising._

_Oh, and please point out any errors I have with tense usage. This is the only thing I'm working on that's in present tense, so I've often been accidentally reverting to past tense. I tried to catch all those mistakes, but you know how it goes._


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